Fragile Hearts
by Leeman
Summary: A fan fic set in the OVA continuality after Manatsu no Eve.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or any other characters residing at the Misaki house. They all belong to Pioneer/AIC. I am not making any money off of this story so please don't sue me.   
  
Author's notes: This story is set in the OVA reality after Manatsu no Eve. I am writing this with no idea of what's going to happen. I am just going to let the story develop. I hope it will turn out to be worthy of your time. I am sure you have heard me babble enough so on to the story.  
  
Tenchi awoke to the sound of knocking on his bedroom door. He rolled over to get up, but he didn't realize that he was already on the edge of his bed. He landed on the floor with an ooomf, and he cursed himself for being so careless. He turned on his lamp, but the brightness hurt his eyes, and he quickly turned away from it. As he blinked to adjust to the light, he made his way to the door. He opened it to find a sobbing Sasami looking up at him while wiping her eyes.   
"Did you have another nightmare, Sasami?"  
"Yes Tenchi. I'm sorry to bother you again, but may I sleep in your room?" She said in between sobs.  
"Sure Sasami." He wondered what could be causing all of the nightmares she had been having lately. This was the third night this week she came to his room, and it was only Thursday. She always said she couldn't remember what happened in her dreams, but whatever it was really frightened her. He picked her up and carried her into his room. He placed her on his bed and tucked her in. He then pulled out some blankets from the closet and laid them out on the floor in the center of the room. He then grabbed a few pillows and prepared to go back to sleep.   
Bright rays of sunlight pierced through the window curtains causing Tenchi to wake up. He yawned and stretched then trudged into the bathroom. He never slept well on the floor, but he was just too kind and caring to make Sasami sleep on the floor. His kindness was a curse and a blessing at the same time. Because of it he had five gorgeous girls living with him (I don't consider Sasami or Ryo-Ohki gorgeous), but it also caused him grief because he always put others before himself. After he finished his shower and brushed his teeth, he went back into his room to make his bed, put away the blankets and pillows on the floor, and get dressed. After he accomplished this, he headed downstairs. As he neared the bottom of the stairway, he waited for Ryoko to glomp him, but it didn't happen. He then remembered that Ryoko hadn't been herself lately. She hardly even acknowledged his existence in the past two weeks. She spent most of her time with Mayuka, or off by herself. The only time he saw her was at meals. He sighed. He missed the warm greeting Ryoko used to give him every morning, although it would usually result in a nosebleed when she rubbed her chest against him.   
"Good morning, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka said with a big smile on her face.  
"Good morning, Miss Ayeka," Tenchi replied with a half smile. Ayeka had also noticed that Ryoko wasn't paying as much attention to Tenchi as she usually did. She also tried to capitalize on this by flirting with him much more frequently.  
"You look very handsome today." She said with an even bigger smile.  
"Thanks...I think." He scratched his head. He liked Ayeka, and she was very beautiful, but she wasn't really his type. He could just picture himself married to Ayeka. He would be king of the most powerful empire in the universe, Jurai. He would be waited on hand and foot, and Ayeka would be by his side constantly. She would basically tell him how to dress, speak, and act. He could just hear her say, "Now Tenchi, you must act like a king at all times. I will not allow improper behavior from a man of your status. You surely don't want everyone to talk about us as if we were mere commoners, now do you?" He shuddered at this thought. Ayeka was sweet, but her upbringing and the fact she was related to him by blood, turned him off to her advances.  
"Lord Tenchi?"   
"What is it, Miss Ayeka?"   
"You were zoned out."  
"Oh, sorry." He muttered sheepishly.   
"You missed breakfast today, and that devil woman ate up your share."  
"Wow, I slept later than I thought," he muttered. "I have to get to work on the fields. See you later."   
"Bye Lord Tenchi." He headed for the door, when he realized how hungry he was. He turned around and went to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed some ham and cheese. He looked on the counter and spotted the bread, and he made himself two sandwiches. He headed for the fields as soon as he was finished eating.  
Mayuka giggled as Ryoko changed her diaper. Ryoko had been her full-time caretaker ever since Ayeka had fallen asleep while watching her. Ryoko had managed to grab the infant just before she fell out of her crib headfirst. She then yelled at Ayeka who wasn't too happy about being scolded, and she announced to everyone that she would be completely responsible for Mayuka from then on. After she changed her diaper, Ryoko dressed her and decided to take her outside. She scooped the baby up in her arms and flew through the roof and up into the beautiful blue sky. She soared high and did loops in the air. Mayuka loved every minute of it and giggled in utter delight. Ryoko then began to sing her song, "The Lonely Moon," and Mayuka giggled even more.  
Tenchi just happened to look up into the sky, and he noticed the pair. He couldn't help but smile. They looked just like a mother and daughter. He could easily picture Ryoko, Mayuka, and himself as a loving family. He pushed these thoughts out of his head and just enjoyed watching them. Ryoko flew close enough for Tenchi to hear her sing, but she was so involved in the moment with Mayuka that she didn't notice. Tenchi had only heard her sing once before, and he was amazed at how beautiful her voice was. It was the sweetest thing he had ever heard. He just stood there, afraid to move as he listened to her song. He couldn't help thinking about his mother, Achika, and how she used to sing to him. He shed a tear at the thought of his mother. He missed her so much, and he wished he could have had more time with her. When Ryoko had finally finished singing, she looked down to see Tenchi staring at her. She blushed and then realized that he had heard her sing. She was extremely embarrassed by this, and she quickly flew back to the house. Tenchi just watched her until she was out of sight.  
"Mihoshi, you idiot! Now look what you've done!" Kyonei screamed at her air head partner. Mihoshi had been using her control cube to get a glass of water. She succeeded in materializing the water except for the fact that the glass appeared right above Kyonei and spilled on her head.  
"I'm so sorry, Kyonei. I didn't mean to!" Mihoshi wailed. She got up to help her partner dry off, but she tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her face. Washu, who had witnessed the entire event, began to laugh uncontrollably.  
"Ouuuucccccchhh." Mihoshi groaned. She pulled herself up and fetched a towel for her partner. Washu finally regained her composure and brought up her holotop computer. She fiercely typed in commands, and waited for a few moments. An evil grin spread across her face.  
  
Author's notes: I bet you are wondering why Ryoko would ignore Tenchi or what Washu is grinning about, aren't you? To be honest, I am too. I will fill in most of the gaps in the next chapter. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or any other characters residing at the Misaki house. They all belong to Pioneer/AIC. I am not making any money off of this story so please don't sue me.  
  
Ryoko put Mayuka in her crib, and she prepared a bottle for her. She couldn't believe she had been so careless while singing to her. She could just picture Tenchi and Ayeka laughing their heads off about it. It was hard for her to face Tenchi after that night a little over two weeks ago. She had sung Mayuka to sleep after changing her diaper. Then she went to watch Tenchi sleep. It relaxed her, and made her feel warm inside to gaze at his peaceful state of sleep. She phased in above him, but he was by no means sleeping peacefully. He tossed and turned for a while, and she considered waking him up. She could just hear him scold her though, and she thought better of it. This went on for about ten minutes before something snapped. He suddenly became very calm. She was happy that his nightmare had finally ended. Then a very mean scowl spread across his face, and he uttered the most painful words she would ever hear. "I hate you, Ryoko, and I never want to see you again." It hit her like a ton of bricks. She sat in utter silence for an extended period of time. His face had immediately returned to a calm, peaceful state after he said this, but Ryoko felt as if she had been stabbed by a thousand jagged-edged blades. A tear traveled down her cheek and was followed by many more. He had told her he hated her once before, when she had torn his mother's kimono, but all was forgotten when Tenchi forgave her and told her he said that out of anger. But this time he told her in his sleep! That meant he really did hate her, and he only put up with her because of his kindness. She decided to leave in that moment. She phased out of the room and reappeared outside.  
"Come Ryo-ohki!" She commanded. Ryo-ohki phased through the wall in Sasami's room and landed at Ryoko's feet. Ryoko picked up the cabbit and was ready to throw it in the air so it could transform into a spaceship. However, she was stopped by the cries of Mayuka who had probably wet herself again. Ryoko was then hit with a realization. Tenchi wasn't the only person in the universe she cared about anymore. Ryoko felt guilty about the way she treated the adult Mayuka when she was under Yuzuha's control. It was, in a way, the same situation she herself was in when Kagato had control of her. Her guilt was what compelled her to help take care of her at first, but soon she became attached to the little girl. As she spent more and more time with her, she realized she loved her like a daughter, and she would protect her at all costs. She decided she would stay for Mayuka's sake, and she would avoid Tenchi whenever possible because of the pain it caused her to even think about him.  
Tenchi commenced work again, but he really wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. He couldn't stop thinking about Ryoko. He cared for her a great deal. He missed her perfect smile and beautiful golden eyes. He missed her flirting with him. What could have happened to stop her advances toward him? Had she lost interest in him? He decided he couldn't work anymore until he talked to her. He threw down the hoe and began walking towards the house.  
Washu typed a few commands into her holotop, and a subspace portal opened in front of her. She stepped in and the portal vanished. It reappeared in her lab, and she stepped out with that grin still on her face. The two gp officers' lives were about to become a little more interesting.  
Tenchi walked through the front door very quietly. He didn't want anyone to bother him right now. He was determined to find out why Ryoko was acting so strangely. Today was his lucky day though, and no one noticed him as he made his way to the stairs. He began creeping his way up in hopes of not alerting Ryoko to his approach.  
Ryoko was feeding Mayuka the special formula Washu designed for her. She then heard someone coming up the stairs. Judging from the light footsteps it had to be Washu or Sasami, and it was most likely Washu. She listened as the footsteps grew closer. Any second, the door would open and Washu would probably have a comment ready to tick her off and make her day that much worse. The door didn't open though. She waited a few minutes, and then dismissed it as her imagination running away with her.  
Tenchi stood outside of the door trying to think of something to say to her. He was sweating profusely, and it wasn't because of the heat. He finally decided to go with the flow, and he forced himself to reach down and turn the knob.  
Ryoko was burping Mayuka when she heard the door open. She was quite surprised to find Tenchi standing in the doorway. She finished burping Mayuka and laid her in her crib.  
"What is it Tenchi?" For some reason she had become really nervous, and Tenchi could tell this by her voice.  
"Ryoko, I need to talk to you about something."  
"W...What about?" She was suddenly afraid. Was he going to tease her about her singing, or was he finally going to overcome his kindness and kick her out of the house? She couldn't take either of those scenarios at this moment in time.  
"Ryoko, why have you been avoiding me lately? Is it something I said or did to you?" He was apprehensive of what her answer could possibly be. Maybe she fell in love with someone else, or he had offended her and hurt her feelings somehow. He would hate himself if he hurt her in any way, and he would be hurt if she did love someone else.  
After looking at him for a few minutes she replied, "Tenchi, I know how you feel about me, and I know that you want me to leave. I promise you that I will not bother anyone else in the house. I love Mayuka and I don't want to leave her. Please let me stay." Tears began rolling down her face.  
Tenchi was absolutely stunned. What in Tsunami's name brought this on? He was hurt that she would actually think he wanted her to leave. "Ryoko, you're not making any sense. I don't want you to leave. Why would you think something like that?"  
"You're very kind Tenchi, but I found out how you really feel about me. You hate me. You said so in your sleep. You also said you never wanted to see me again. I have tried to appease you by avoiding you when possible. Even though you hate me, I want you to know that I love you, and I would do anything for you except leave Mayuka. I must make sure you are both safe." She began sobbing uncontrollably, and she phased out of the room. Tenchi shed a tear. How could he have told her he hated her again?!?! Even if it was in his sleep, he still hurt her. He hated to see her hurt more than anyone else. He didn't know if he loved her or not, but he felt very close to her. He must set things right.  
Kyonei had dried herself off with the towel Mihoshi had gotten her, and she was finally calming down. She wondered how Mihoshi could be such an idiot. She graduated at the top of her class, and she had an impressive arrest record. It didn't make any sense.   
"Kyonei, are you still mad at me? I didn't mean to get you all wet. I...It was an accident. I'm soooo sorrrrrry!" Mihoshi began wailing and crying.  
"Stop crying. I'm not mad at you anymore." Upon hearing this Mihoshi immediately got up, ran over to her partner, and proceeded to hug the life out of her. "Mihoshi...I...can't...breathe." She was starting to black out.  
"Oops, sorry." Mihoshi let her go, and Kyonei quickly drew in a deep breath of air to give her oxygen deprived body a big dose of the necessary element.  
Washu watched the two gp officers on the large, 30ft by 30ft screen in her lab. Her plan was working perfectly. Soon, she would have enough preliminary data to begin her experiment.  
Sasami just went into the kitchen to begin making lunch. She noticed Tenchi coming down the stairs with a sad expression on his face.  
"What's wrong Tenchi?" She was very concerned about him. He looked like he just lost his best friend.  
Tenchi noticed Sasami's worried expression and forced a smile. "Nothing, I'm just feeling a little depressed about the homework I have to do over vacation." He lied. "I have to go do some more work in the fields right now. I won't be joining you for lunch." He then headed out the door. She watched him leave. She knew he was lying, but she decided that it would be best not to question him any further about it. Tenchi thought about where Ryoko usually went when she wanted to be by herself. He decided to check the cave first.  
Ryoko had waited for Tenchi to leave the room and phased back in. Why couldn't he just tell her the truth? Why did he have to be so damn nice? She looked down at Mayuka who had fallen asleep. She was such a beautiful baby. Her dark blue hair was already growing thick. Washu said she would develop twice as fast as a normal human baby. She also said she would get all of the memories of her previous life with the family when she got older. Ryoko finally quit crying. Mayuka had the same calming affect on her that Tenchi used to have when she watched him sleep. Soon, she fell asleep as well.  
Tenchi couldn't find her anywhere. He checked the cave, Funaho, and the shrine. Then it hit him. He hadn't checked the roof of the house. He just knew she would be there. He headed back to the house.  
Sasami had just finished cooking lunch. Ayeka was already seated at the table when Mihoshi and Kyonei came in and sat down.   
"Ayeka, would you please tell Washu that lunch is ready?"  
"Sure Sasami." She got up and headed for Washu's lab.   
"Mihoshi, Kyonei, will you help me set the table?"  
"Yes Sasami," they said in unison. They got up and helped her set the table. They had just finished when Ayeka and Washu entered. Then they all sat down.   
"Where's Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka inquired.  
"Tenchi is working in the fields, and he said he wouldn't be eating lunch today." Sasami answered.  
While no one was looking, Washu typed in a few commands on her holotop under the table. A subspace portal opened up outside of the house. A small bomb fell out of it into the spot Washu had designated for it. When it hit the ground, it caused a large explosion. Everyone at the table got up and ran outside to see what happened. Washu slipped a small blue tablet into the gp officers' drinks. Then she ran to catch up to the rest of the group.  
Tenchi had just checked the roof only to discover she wasn't there. He was entering the attic window when the explosion occurred. He immediately began to head down the attic steps. When he reached the bottom, he flew down the stairs and out the front door. He spotted the rest of the girls gathered around a small crater.   
"What happened here?" He said as he approached them.  
"We're not sure," answered Kyonei.  
"It had to be that devil woman," Ayeka said, although she didn't sound too convinced.  
After a quick scan of the skies, the group dismissed it as a freak occurrence, and they headed back to the house to finish their meal. Tenchi headed back to the fields to finish his work for the day. He wondered if Ryoko did have something to do with the crater. Where was she anyway? He had looked all over, and he still wasn't able to find her. He figured she would be back from wherever she was to eat dinner. He pushed all thoughts of her out of his head and concentrated on the work at hand.  
Both Ryoko and Mayuka had been awakened by the explosion. Ryoko was about to phase out to investigate when she was stopping by the cries of Mayuka who had been upset by the explosion. Ryoko picked her up in her arms to calm her down. After holding her for a few minutes, the baby finally calmed down. She began to sing to her in hopes of putting her back to sleep. She sang a song called "Forevermore." She had composed it herself a few months ago when Tenchi returned one of her hugs, which made her very happy and put her in the mood to write. It started out as a poem, but she transformed it into a song. After Mayuka had finally fallen asleep, Ryoko placed her in her crib. She decided to go sit up on the roof. She stared up at the blue sky and thought about Tenchi. She loved him more than life itself, and she wanted him to love her more than anything. It hurt her so much that night when he told her he hated her in his sleep. She realized that he would never return her feelings for him. He knew she was a monster. She was a murderer who was responsible for the death of over a million people. She thought of the faces of the people as they begged for their lives. She acknowledged them by stabbing them or cutting off their heads with her energy sword. She wished she could change her past. She wished she could have somehow killed Kagato during the 1300 years of torture and pain he put her through. She wished she could somehow bring back all those people. Tenchi didn't know about the multitudes people she killed, but he could just instinctively tell how evil she was. "Well Tenchi, I will give you your wish. Tonight I will leave. I will take Ryo-ohki and go." She thought. She hated the thought of leaving Mayuka though. She really loved that little girl, and she would miss her very much...almost as much as she would miss Tenchi. If she stayed though, she would only bring more pain and grief to Tenchi, and she would end up causing Mayuka grief as well. She knew that they wouldn't be safe with her around because her past attracted many dangers to their home.  
Everyone else had just finished their lunch. After helping Sasami clean up, Mihoshi and Kyonei were walking into the living room. Suddenly, both of them began feeling very ill. They became extremely dizzy and lost all sense of balance. Mihoshi fell backwards and Kyonei fell forward. By the time they hit the ground, they were both unconscious. Washu calmly walked up to the teal-haired gp officer and began dragging her towards the couch. After she had placed her on the couch, she began dragging Mihoshi to the nearest chair. She propped her up in the chair, and smiled wickedly. "It has begun." She whispered to herself.  
Ayeka was sitting outside on a picnic table that Nobilyuki had built on a small knoll a few hundred yards from the back of the house so everyone could eat outside if and when they chose too. She was admiring the beautiful scenery. She sat out here quite a bit. It was a place where she could escape all the madness that went on at the Misaki residence. She could gather and focus her thoughts on a variety of issues that troubled her. The main issue and the one she usually pondered was Tenchi though. Did he love her? Was he hiding his feelings so he didn't hurt any of the other girls in the house? If so, he was hurting all of them in the long run by not telling the truth. What if he loved that bitch, Ryoko? "No, that's preposterous. Tenchi could never love that skank," she said to herself. She hated Ryoko because she was the cause of Yosho's departure. She could be happily married to him if it weren't for that slut. She ruined her life with Yosho, and, as if that wasn't enough, now she was trying to steal Tenchi away from her. Suddenly, another thought occurred to her, Ryoko has saved her life more than once, and she has saved the lives of other members of the family as well. They have also shared a few good times with each other. "Despite all the evil things we have said and done to each other, I consider her my friend." Next to Kyonei she was probably her best friend. She comforted her when she was upset about the adult Mayuka's sudden appearance. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she noticed that Ryoko was also crying that night at Funaho. Ryoko does have feelings, and she is just as fragile as any other person. She puts on a good act, but she finally realized that Ryoko isn't really a monster after all. Of course, she would never admit this to anyone though. She was still competition for Tenchi's heart, and that made her an obstacle, one she intended to go right through. Tenchi and she were meant to be together after all. Ayeka finally decided it was time to go back to the house, but she pictured herself in Tenchi's arms to put herself in a better mood before she headed back.  
The day went by slowly and was uneventful for the most part. When dinnertime rolled around, everyone had gathered around the table except for Ryoko. Even Yosho ate with the family instead of eating by himself at the shrine quarters. Nobilyuki also managed to get off work early enough to eat with everyone tonight. Everyone was busy eating and chatting except for Tenchi. He was wordlessly staring down at his plate. He was concerned about Ryoko. She never missed a meal, but today she hadn't eaten at all. Where was she? What was she doing? He needed to talk to her and try to undo the damage he had done. He had been unsuccessful in his first attempt to assure Ryoko that he didn't hate her, but the next time he vowed to succeed. He didn't think she would do anything irrational, but she did have a tendency to react out of emotion without thinking things through, however. He suddenly realized that no one was watching Mayuka. "Hey, why isn't anyone watching Mayuka?"  
"Ryoko is watching her. She said she didn't want to be disturbed." Sasami answered.   
Ah ha! Ryoko was with Mayuka the whole time. She must have phased back into the room when he left. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking about this earlier. "Please excuse me, but I have something to take care of." He got up to leave, but Yosho spoke up.  
"Tenchi, why don't you eat first? Whatever it is can wait until you finish your meal."  
"I'm not hungry anyway, and this can't wait."  
"Lord Tenchi, what could be so important." Tenchi was caught off guard by Ayeka's question. He had to think of something to say quickly.  
"I need to take care of a personal matter. It's nothing you should be concerned about. I have to go now." He hurried out of the room before anyone could say anything more. He reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up. He had to get up there without Ryoko hearing him, or she would most likely phase out before he would be able to say a word to her. He stood there thinking for a moment then an idea struck him. He activated his lighthawk wings and materialized a floating platform to stand on with them. He had learned to activate them at will after the Dr. Clay incident, but he didn't tell anyone for fear of Washu finding out. She would run a million tests on him, and that was not something he looked forward to. He began floating up the stairs. When he reached the top, he took a left and floated down the hall towards Mayuka's room. When he reached the door, he eased the platform to the ground before he deactivated it. Without another thought he reached down and turned the knob. He eased the door open slightly and peered inside. He saw Ryoko asleep on the old sofa they had put in there for anyone who was watching the baby to sit on. Mayuka was also asleep in her arms. Ryoko looked like a goddess of peace with her child of purity in her arms. His heart fluttered. Ryoko was so peaceful and vulnerable right now. He wanted to just stand there and stare at them for the rest of the night, but he needed to talk to her. He slowly and carefully removed Mayuka from her arms and placed her in the crib without waking either of them. He then looked back down at Ryoko and smiled. He decided to enjoy the moment for a bit longer. She had always watched him sleep, but this time the situation was reversed. If there had been room on the sofa, he would have laid beside her and showed her that he didn't want her to go. He decided to do the next best thing. He went into his room and gathered his pillows and blankets he kept in his closet, and put them in Mayuka's room next to the sofa. He made a bed on the floor and laid down.  
Everyone else ate dinner in silence after Tenchi left. It wasn't like Tenchi to act in such a way. What was going on? That was the basic question that everyone had on their mind. Well, everyone except Washu. She was too busy observing Mihoshi and Kyonei to care. Things weren't going to be the same around here after tonight. Her experiment would be concluded, and the two galaxy policewomen's lives would be forever altered. Right after everyone finished eating, Kyonei and Mihoshi announced that they both were feeling unusually tired and were going to bed. Sasami and Ayeka cleared the table and washed the dishes. Yosho went back to the shrine, and Nobilyuki went into the study. Washu headed for her lab with a huge grin on her face, which worried the rest of the family.   
It didn't take long before Tenchi fell into a deep sleep. He began having dreams about Ryoko. He could see himself slap her and tell her he hated her over and over again. It was stabbing at his heart. He could see the hurt expression, and her sad eyes. It was becoming too much to bear. "Stop!!!!!!! I can't take this anymore!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
Ryoko had been awakened by his screaming. She started shaking him to wake him up. The images stopped flooding through Tenchi's head, and his eyelids began to open. Everything was out of focus, but it didn't take long for him to see the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Ryoko was looking down him with pure concern in her eyes. She held him in her arms and comforted him. Tenchi began to smile. He felt so calm under her gaze. All apprehension and guilt left him, and a new realization came over him. He knew Ryoko was the one he truly loved. He wanted to tell her right then, but he couldn't make his lips move. All he could do was stare into her beautiful golden orbs. He had lost himself in them, and he wasn't even able to think. A few minutes passed and neither of them moved. Their moment was completely shattered when Mayuka began crying though. Ryoko blushed, stood up, and helped him to his feet. She then picked Mayuka up and carried her over to the table where she changed her diapers. Tenchi began to think rationally again. He couldn't lose control like that again, if he did he would hurt all of the other girls in the house. He had admitted to himself that he loved her, but he could not and would not act upon it, yet. He did, however, need to talk to her before she phased away from him. "Ryoko, about the night when I told you I hated you. I didn't mean it. I am so sorry, and I wish I could take it back. You are very special to me, just like all of the other girls in the house. I would never do anything intentional to harm any of you. Will you accept my apology?"  
Ryoko changed Mayuka's without saying a word to him. She picked up the giggling baby and tossed it into the air. She gently caught her, and placed her back into the crib. She then turned to face Tenchi. "Tenchi, I want to accept your apology, but I can't. I am the one who should apologize. I have put you, and everyone else in this house, into too many dangerous situations. You were almost killed by Kagato because of me, and you were nearly killed again because you went to rescue me from Dr. Clay. I have done nothing but bring heartache upon this family. That is going to end now. I am leaving with Ryo-ohki now. I will not cause any more harm here. I love you, and I have for a very long time. I have decided to leave you and Mayuka so that both of you can truly be at peace. Goodbye, my love." She took one last look at Mayuka before she phased out.  
Tenchi was torn apart on the inside. How could this happen? He had to stop her. He took of in a dead run, and practically flew down the stairs. He heard a loud, "Meeeeoooooowwww!" right outside of the house. His legs began pumping even faster. He finally reached the door just in time to see Ryoko teleport up into the spacecraft floating above the lake. He saw it speed off into the sky and disappear. He was too late.  
Washu was observing Kyonei and Mihoshi with her spy cam when an alarm went off. She phased in her holotop and began fiercely typing in commands on the keypad. "Ryoko, why?" was all she managed to choke out before a tear made its way down her cheek. She tried contacting her through their mental link, but she didn't get a response. She would never have a chance to be a mother to her now. Why had she been so wrapped up into her damn experiments? She should have been there for her daughter. "No!! The greatest scientific genus in the universe won't give up that easily!" She began rapidly typing in commands in her laptop once more, desperate to find a way to contact her.  
Ayeka and Sasami had both heard Ryo-ohki and went to investigate. As they neared the door, Tenchi ran past them like they weren't even there. What happened? Why was he in such a hurry? Both princesses watched him disappear up the stairs with very concerned expressions. Ayeka was the first to speak up. "Do you think we should go talk to him?"  
"I don't think that would be a good idea. He looked pretty upset. We should leave him alone right now."  
"You're right Sasami, but I am very curious about what would cause him that much distress."  
"Where's Ryo-ohki? I heard her meow. I wonder if that has anything to do with Tenchi's actions?"  
"I'm not sure. Let's wait until he calms down before we talk to him." Ayeka took the clues into account and acquired a suspicion as to what was bothering him, but she didn't want to let Sasami know just yet. She had to be sure first. She needed to speak with Washu.  
  
Author's notes: Well, that concludes the second chapter. I have more of an idea where this story is going now, but I am still uncertain about many details. In the next chapter the details of Washu's experiment will be revealed. I am quite sure of that. I hope you have enjoyed my story so far.   



	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or any other characters residing at the Misaki house. They all belong to Pioneer/AIC. I am not making any money off of this story so please don't sue me.  
  
Ayeka knocked on the closet door that led to Washu's lab, but no one answered. She decided to run the risk of being zapped by one of her security systems and enter without permission. She walked into the huge place and headed to the giant computer/workstation where Washu did most of her work. She found the red headed scientist staring off into space with a blank expression on her face. Ayeka could tell she had been crying because of the tear stains on her clothes. This was all of the confirmation she needed. She knew Ryoko was gone, and she wasn't planning on coming back. The thought of her rival leaving, elated her, but only for a moment. Sadness soon replaced her happiness. Her friend was gone, and she may not ever see her again. "Washu, is there any way we can contact her?" The scientist didn't reply. "Washu! Answer me! Is there any way we can contact her?"  
After a few moments she finally replied, "No Ayeka, she has completely cut off our mental link, and she won't accept any transmissions. In just a few minutes, she will be out of my scanners' range. After that, I will have no idea where she is. She could go to the other side of the universe for all I know." They both fell silent. Ayeka wondered what could have caused this to happen. She decided to wait no longer. She had to talk to Tenchi now.  
Tenchi sat on the edge of the bed. A steady stream of tears poured down his face, but he made absolutely no sound. He didn't think she would ever leave him. How could she do this? It was all his fault. If he had told her how he really felt right then, none of this would have happened. He would have hurt the other girls, especially Ayeka, if he had confessed though, but this no longer mattered. Why couldn't he just be more honest and less considerate? "I swear if I ever see you again, Ryoko, I will tell you how I feel about you." After a few minutes had passed, he heard a knock on his door. "I don't want to be disturbed right now. Please come back later." The door opened up anyway, and Ayeka was standing in the doorway.  
"Lord Tenchi, I need to speak with you now. This simply cannot wait any longer."  
"What is it Miss Ayeka?"  
"What would have caused Ryoko to leave? Did you hurt her somehow?"  
"I really don't want to talk about it."  
"Lord Tenchi, you may not believe this, but Ryoko really is my friend. We may fight and insult each other most of the time, but this is just our way of expressing our friendship. Please tell me what happened? Did you fall in love with one of us?" She asked this last question with much anticipation in her voice. Could he have possibly fallen in love with her? Did he tell Ryoko that he didn't love her because he loves her?   
"A couple of weeks ago, I told her I hated her, and that I never wanted to see her again in my sleep. She has been acting strangely ever since then. I just found out why today, but it was too late. She just left me here all alone. I already miss her, and I wish I could have just one more chance to tell her how I feel." She watched as more tears made their way down his face, and she shed a few of her own.   
"I'm sorry Lord Tenchi. I will leave you alone now, goodnight."  
"Goodnight Ayeka." She closed his door on the way out and immediately headed to her room. When she got there, she closed her door and sat down on the bed. Although he didn't come right out and say it, she now knew that he loved the space pirate after all. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and she began sobbing quite loudly. Why didn't he love her? Why did he love that damn space pirate? Why is it that everyone she falls in love with can never return her love? She began hugging her pillow very tightly, and she eventually cried herself to sleep.  
Ryoko sat in her chair on the deck of Ryo-ohki. She already missed Tenchi very much. She knew what he really wanted, and she knew that this would make him happy. She would die many times over just to see him happy and safe. Now that she was gone, he could be both. Leaving him and Mayuka was much worse than death, but she was willing to give up her happiness for them. Besides, he would never love her anyway. He and Ayeka are probably confessing their love for each other right now. Ayeka would become Mayuka's mother, and they would be happy as long as they lived. Now that Tenchi and Mayuka were out of her life, what else did she have to live for? An idea suddenly came to her. She has killed so many people, and now it would be her turn. She would allow the many people whose loved ones she killed to have their vengeance. "Ryo-ohki, set a course for Jurai."  
"Miya Miya Miya Miya. Miya, Miya Miya?"  
"Yes Ryo-ohki, I am absolutely sure."  
(Sadly) "Miya Miya."  
Washu sat on her floating futon thinking about where Ryoko would go. She knew how she felt about Tenchi, and she knew what possibility this might lead to. She decided to determine where Ryoko might be headed by studying her path up until she disappeared off of her scanners. After a few minutes of rapid typing on her holotop, she saw that Ryoko had made a sharp turn. An expression of pure dread came over her face. "Oh no. Ryoko, my daughter, please don't do this." Washu tried desperately to contact her through their link, but to no avail. Her daughter was going to die, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. Just then, a buzzer went off and an image popped up on her screen. Her experiment was about to be completed, but she no longer cared. She phased her holotop out, and began to cry again.   
Mihoshi woke up on a beach. The cool sea breeze refreshed and energized her. It also had a purifying effect on her. She was alone on this beautiful, warm day. The water was perfectly clear, and the waves gently breaking on shore sung a sweet melodious song. The sand was pearly white, and it sparkled like diamonds in the bright sunlight. She began to reflect upon her life with Kyonei, and her thoughts came to her as clear as the water. She loved her partner, not as a friend or sister, but as Ryoko and Ayeka did Tenchi. When she had first met Tenchi, she had a crush on him because he saved her life. She even thought she loved him, but she found out how wrong she was when her partner came back into her life. At first, Kyonei hated her and actually wanted to kill her because it was her fault that she became stranded out in space for three months. Mihoshi had also ruined Kyonei's chances of getting a promotion on numerous occasions and had basically ruined her career. After Kyonei lived with her and the rest of her family for about a week though, she had mellowed out and became her old self again. Her rage and hate were replaced with kindness and understanding. Kyonei often yelled at her though, and she still does now. It always hurts her feelings, but she has always been cheerful and quick to recover from any emotional distress. Kyonei is actually very sweet to her most of the time, and she usually gives into her whims. She couldn't imagine her life without her beloved partner, and she decided that she was going to tell her how she felt the next time she saw her.  
Kyonei also woke up on a beautiful beach. The cool breeze and relaxing atmosphere cleared her head and allowed pure, unclouded thoughts to make their way to the surface. She began thinking about Mihoshi. Why did she have to be such a ditz? Why does she always screw everything up? She wished she had never met her. Wait a minute. If she hadn't met her, she would be dead right now. Mihoshi has saved her life on quite a few occasions. She didn't know if it was pure luck or if she has moments of clear focus, but somehow she always seems to get through the most difficult situations. They have also had many good times together. They sang and drank the night away at karaoke bars and danced from dusk until dawn at many nice dance clubs. She would be bored out of her mind sitting behind a desk now if it weren't for her. Promotions used to mean everything to her, but Mihoshi changed all that. She could now understand why Mihoshi didn't want promotions. If she was promoted to a desk job, she wouldn't be able to help people like she always wanted to do. Mihoshi cared very much for all people, and that's what makes her special.   
Kyonei joined the galaxy police to run away from home and to get out into the universe. She also had a desire to help people, but that was soon dwarfed by her career ambitions. Finally, thanks to Mihoshi, she could see what she truly wanted out of life. She also realized something else. She never wanted to be separated from her partner for any reason. She loved her, and she has for a long time, but why couldn't she admit it to herself earlier. Was it because they were both females? She decided to talk to her and tell her how she felt the next time she saw her.   
Tenchi couldn't stand it anymore. He had to find Ryoko, and tell her how he felt. The major problem he faced was that he needed a spaceship. Washu might have a solution to that problem though, and he decided to ask her for help. As he made his way down to the lab, he thought about the consequences of talking to her at this time of night. She might drag him into her lab and strap him up before he could even utter a protest. He arrived at her lab door, and proceeded to knock. It worried him when he didn't get an answer. Despite what his head was telling him, he decided to enter and face whatever Washu was going to do to him. As he made his way down the corridor that had the large aquariums, he was startled by a hideous looking fish that was as long as a bus which flew past him as he passed the aquarium it was in. He regained his composure and continued walking down the corridor. He found her where she usually conducted her experiments, but he didn't expect to find her crying. He realized that she knew Ryoko left which would make it easier to ask for her help. "Little Washu, could I speak with you a moment?"  
"What do you want, Tenchi?" She said between sobs.  
"I need your help. I need to borrow a spaceship so I can go after Ryoko. I assume you are crying because she left, and I also assume you have a spaceship around here somewhere or you know where to get one."  
"I don't have any ships around Tenchi. It would take me hours to repair Mihoshi's ship after her last crash in the lake, and it would be too late by then. There is nothing we can do. Damn it, I hate being helpless."  
"What do you mean it would be too late? Where is she going?"  
"As far as I could tell, she was headed for Jurai. If she is, then that can only mean one thing. She is going there to die."  
"What!?!? Oh no, this is all my fault. Washu, I have to stop her. I can't let her die because of me. You are supposed to be the greatest genius in the universe. Why don't you prove it?" His words brought her back from her depression, and she began thinking about where to get a ship fast enough to catch Ryo-ohki. It didn't take her long to come up with a solution. She slapped herself on the forehead for not thinking about it earlier.  
"Tenchi, you can use one of the crystals in the lake. Grab your Tench-ken and run to the dock. Use it to summon one of the crystals and order it to transform into a spaceship. Once you have done that, use the Tenchi-ken to command the ship to beam you up onto the deck."  
"Thank you, Little Washu." He quickly ran out of the lab and up to his room to grab the sword. Then he ran out onto the dock, and held up the sword. "I summon a crystal to rise from the water." All, of the crystals in the lake, suddenly flew up out of the water, and Tenchi sweat- dropped. After some quick thought however, he pointed the sword at one of the crystals. "I command you to stay, and I command the rest of you to return to the bottom of the lake." Everything went smoothly that time, and he was glad it actually worked. Still pointing the Tenchi-ken at the crystal he commanded, "Transform into a spaceship now."   
"Miiiyyyaaaa!" The crystal transformed itself into a ship that looked just like Ryo-ohki.   
"I now order you to beam me up onto your deck." The crystal did as it was told and in a flash, Tenchi was standing on the deck. "Damn, I should have asked Washu how to pilot this thing," he muttered. Then he realized that so far the crystal had been following his orders. He smiled to himself.  
"I command you to fly to Jurai as fast as you can."   
"Miya!" The ship flew out of the atmosphere. Once it was in outer space, it began accelerating at a rapid rate. Tenchi, who wasn't prepared for such a sharp increase in speed was thrown to the back of the ship. He cursed himself for being such an idiot, and made his way back to the chair that was in the middle of the ship and sat down.   
"How long will it take to get there?" The ship responded by displaying 18.5 hours on the display. He sighed and decided to get some sleep.  
Kyonei awoke to find that her partner was gone from the bunk below her. She thought that was a tad unusual because Mihoshi always slept later than she did. She looked at the clock and saw that it was only 8:20 a.m. She decided that she might as well get up and around for breakfast. When she arrived at the dinning room, she found everyone there except for Tenchi and Ryoko. She also thought that this was quite odd, and decided to question it.  
"Good morning everyone."  
"Good morning Kyonei," Sasami said. She wasn't as cheerful as she normally is, Kyonei noticed.   
"Where are Ryoko and Tenchi?"   
Washu was the first to speak up, "Ryoko has runaway, and Tenchi has gone after her."  
"Why would she run away?"  
"I'm not too sure, but Tenchi said it was his fault. As far as I could tell, she was headed for Jurai."  
"Why Jurai?"  
She noticed a tear run down the scientist's cheek. "If she is headed there, then she is going there to die."  
Everyone at the table gasped with the exception of Yosho. They were upset that Ryoko and Tenchi were gone, but they hadn't known how serious the situation really was. The rest of the meal was eaten in an eerie silence.. Everyone was concerned for Ryoko, and they hoped Tenchi could catch her before she arrived on Jurai. After the meal, everyone carried on with their daily chores.   
Kyonei and Mihoshi were sweeping the shrine steps. Kyonei thought this would be the perfect opportunity to talk to her partner. Mihoshi was also thinking the same thing. Kyonei was at the top of the shrine steps, and Mihoshi was at the bottom. They both began walking towards each other at exactly the same time. When they met half way though, neither of them said a word. It wasn't necessary because their eyes and expressions said more than words ever could. They embraced each other and kissed passionately. They pulled away from each other with the biggest smiles they had ever worn on their faces. "I love you, Kyonei."  
"I love you too, Mihoshi, and I always will." They kissed once more before they went back to sweeping.   
Ryoko sat in her chair and thought about Tenchi. She thought about the games they used to play when he was a child and was able to see her astral body that she projected from the cave. One game in particular they used to play was pirates and treasure. She would generate images of pirates who wore black battle suits and had patches over their eyes. He would fight these men, even though he couldn't actually touch them, and he would always win. Then he would make his way to the cave opening to find the treasure which would be a 3D image of his mother that Ryoko would generate. In order to get her to generate the image though, he would have to pretend to kiss her. Although she couldn't feel it, it still meant very much to her. Tenchi, who was like most other little boys at that age, didn't like that part. It always drained her energy down to very low levels to generate these images though, and she would tell him she had to go, and that they could play again later. He always seemed saddened that their game was over, but she told him that there was always tomorrow, and that would make him smile again. Now, that same Tenchi hated her. She always dreamt of the day that he would free her, and they could play together forever, but she screwed that up when she attacked him at his school. She was angry at him for hurting her when she had tried to kiss him. All she really wanted to do was scare him, but it got out of hand. From then on, he had been afraid of her. He could tell what kind of monster she was, and he wanted nothing to do with her. She always shrugged of his rejections though, and had foolishly told herself that it was destiny that they would be together. She played the part of the tough space pirate and ignored the pain she felt each time he turned away from her. Then one day, he told her he hated her because she had ripped his mother's kimono. Ryo-ohki had thought that he was talking to her and ran off. Tenchi ran off after the cabbit, paying no regard to just how much those words had hurt her. She had tried desperately to sew the kimono back together, but she failed miserably. Tenchi had told her that he wasn't mad at her anymore, and things went back to normal. She thought back to when Mayuka showed up. She could sense evil in her, but Tenchi wouldn't listen to her. Mayuka had attacked her after she left her in that tree. When she was going to retaliate and get rid of her because she was a danger to him, he had slapped her. She found out later on that Mayuka was possessed deep within by Yuzuha. Now Mayuka was the only other person in the universe whom she loved. Mayuka would have eventually seen the evil in her, and turned away from her like Tenchi had. That would be too much to bear, but it wouldn't happen. Her death was going to bring peace to many Juraians and insure Tenchi and Mayuka's safety. "Ryo-ohki, how long will it be before we arrive at Jurai?"  
"Miya Miya Miya."   
"So I have another 9 hours to live, eh?" She might as well get something to eat. "Stop at the nearest planet with a descent restaurant."  
"Miya."  
Tenchi awoke because of his need to use the restroom. "Are there any restrooms on this ship?"  
The ship put a map on the display that showed him where to go. "Thank you."  
"Miya!" After Tenchi did his thing, he went back and sat in the chair.   
"How long will it be before we arrive at our destination?" The ship displayed 10.5 hours on the display. He realized he should have brought some provisions on the trip. He wondered if they had time to stop and get something to eat, but then he scolded himself. How could he think of food when the woman he loved was in danger? His stomach growled very loudly, and he sighed. He would have to ignore it until he caught up with Ryoko.   
A very flustered Washu sat on her floating futon in her lab. She hated being left in the dark in such a terrible situation. She just had to find out something. She decided to send a transmission to Tenchi to see if he had succeeded in stopping her.   
Tenchi was thinking about all of the good times he had with Ryoko, when a loud beep startled him, and caused him to fall out of his chair. He rubbed the back of his head which had smacked the floor pretty hard, and asked the ship what it wanted. On the display it said he had a message. Praying it was Ryoko, he ordered the ship to let him see it. He was disappointed it was Washu, but then cheered up because he could at least find out how things were back home. "Hello Tenchi."  
"Hello, Little Washu. How is everyone doing?"  
"Everyone is doing well, except for Ayeka who seems deeply disturbed by something."  
"Will she be okay?"  
"I hope so. Is there anything I should know about?"  
"Well...er...um...you see...I"  
"Spit it out!"  
"After Ryoko left, Ayeka came in to talk to me about her. She was actually concerned about her, but I kinda gave her the impression that I loved Ryoko. It was going to happen sooner or later anyway."  
"Do you really love Ryoko, Tenchi?"  
"More than anything. She left because I told her I hated her in my sleep a few weeks ago. That was the second time I have told her that. I am so stupid. Why does she have to love me? She deserves so much more." He held his head down and a tear fell from his eye.   
"Tenchi, Ryoko has known you much longer than you have her. She has loved you since before you could even speak. Let me show you something." She put on a weird metal helmet covered in flashing lights. "I watched these events occur through our mental link." Tenchi was rendered speechless when he saw the images she transmitted through the helmet. They were images of him playing with Ryoko when he was a young child. This opened up a whole new avenue of memories in his head that had been long forgotten. Tears freely flowed down his face now. When he finally regained enough composure to speak, all he could choke out was, "That was her." He stood there motionless for several minutes, thinking about those days of his youth. He finally understood. He understood why Ryoko attacked him at the school, and why she always wanted to be close to him. If only he had known this earlier, this whole messed up situation could have been avoided.  
"Tenchi, I will leave you alone now. Please bring my daughter back in one piece."   
"I swear by Tsunami's name that no harm will ever come upon her again." The screen flickered and went black. Tenchi just stood there staring at it.  
Ryoko had just finished her meal and fifth round of sake. She was already starting to feel the effects of it, and she decided it was about time to leave.  
"Bartender, get me another bottle of sake."   
"Comin' right up." The cheerful green skinned man behind the counter proceeded to get her another bottle of sake. She thanked him, grabbed the bottle, and phased out of the bar. He cursed and scratched his head. "That's something you don't see everyday," he said to no one in particular.   
Ryoko phased in on the deck of Ryo-ohki. She took a big swig of sake before speaking. "Ryo-ohki, continue on the current course to Jurai."  
"Miya." The ship did as it was told and soon they were traveling in open space anew.   
  
Author's notes: Well, I hope I have succeeded in building up enough suspense in this chapter. I don't know how this is going to end yet. There are so many ideas swirling in my head about this story right now. I know Washu's experiment ended up being weak, but oh well. I've always liked the idea of the Kyonei + Mihoshi = Love equation, and I decided to incorporate it into this fic. Although I really don't think there is enough material in the Tenchi Universe to back it up, it always seemed right. I'm sure you are sick of my ranting by now, so I will torture you no longer.  



	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or any other characters residing at the Misaki house. They all belong to Pioneer/AIC. I am not making any money off of this story so please don't sue me.  
  
It was now dinnertime at the Misaki residence. It was a very quiet and uneventful dinner due to the absence of Ryoko, Tenchi, and Washu. Washu had announced earlier that she was working on something very important in her lab and could not be disturbed. Kyonei and Mihoshi were glancing and smiling at each other frequently, but no one noticed except for Ayeka. "Even they have found love in one another," she muttered under her breath.  
"Did you say something, Ayeka?" Her little sister questioned.  
"I was merely commenting to myself on how delicious this food is."  
"I'm glad you like it." The little princess gave her a big smile, which temporarily eased her frustration. Mayuka's crying interrupted the peaceful meal, and Kyonei immediately took her into another room and changed her diaper. After she was done, she came back into the dining room and placed the little girl on the floating crib that Washu had designed. When everyone was finished eating, Ayeka and Sasami cleared the table, and then took Mayuka into the onsen with for a bath. Kyonei and Mihoshi announced that they were really tired, and that they were going to go to bed early. Although it was noticed that they were smiling at each other and blushing as they made their way out of the room. Nobilyuki took quite a bit of interest in this, and he soon disappeared. Yosho knew where he went and what he was doing, and he hung around the house for a good laugh which he knew would come sooner or later. It didn't take very long until Nobilyuki stumbled down the stairs with his video camera smashed over his head. Yosho burst out laughing, and he didn't stop until he fell off of his chair and hit is head on the floor. He groaned and rubbed his head. He went back to the shrine soon after.   
Washu sat in her lab typing away on her holotop. She couldn't tell exactly where Tenchi and Ryoko were, but she had narrowed down their locations to within a 200-mile margin of error. She needed to slow down Ryo-ohki to improve Tenchi's chances of catching her. The virus she was working on would completely shut her down for about 10 minutes which would allow Tenchi to gain considerable ground on her. It took her twenty minutes, but finally she completed it. "I'm very sorry to have to put you through this, Ryo-ohki, but it is for your and Ryoko's own good." She hit the enter button and the virus was sent.  
Ryoko was relaxing in her chair, when suddenly it became very dark, and Ryo-ohki slowed to a stop. "What the hell! Why are we stopping, Ryo-ohki?" There was no reply. "Ryo-ohki, are you okay?" There was still no reply. She opened up her link with the ship and discovered a haywire signal from its brain had put it to sleep. She could tell that it caused quite a bit of damage in many of her cells, but she was quickly regenerating them. What could have caused this? Was it a flaw in her design? She sighed. She would just have to wait until the ship was fully regenerated.   
Tenchi was growing impatient. He had to catch up with her soon, or it would be too late. "How long before we reach Jurai?" The ship displayed 3 hours on the screen. Can't this damn ship go any faster? She could already be there. He silently prayed for her safety before laying his head back against the chair. Time was running out. His thoughts were interrupted by an incoming transmission. He accepted it, and Washu appeared on the screen. She told him what she had done to Ryo-ohki. "Don't give up hope Tenchi. We won't let her die. She has too much to live for." She smiled at him, and the screen went blank. Thanks to Washu there was still a chance to save her from herself.   
Twelve minutes later, Ryo-ohki came back to life. "What happened, Ryo-ohki?"   
"Miya Miya Miya Miya Miya Miya Miya. Miya Miya Miya."   
"Damn it, Washu!" Why does she always have to meddle where she has no business? "Ryo-ohki, continue on to Jurai, and fly at maximum velocity." She would allow no more interruptions. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. "How long before we reach Jurai?" The screen displayed 2 hours.   
Washu was fully aware that the virus wouldn't allow Tenchi enough time to be able to catch her, but it bought her some time. She had to figure out a way to stop Ryo-ohki for a more extended period of time. She knew that Ryo-ohki has probably already taken preventive measures which would stop her from being able to send another virus. She had one last hope...Tsunami.   
Sasami had convinced her sister into playing a game of chess. Ayeka almost always won, but that was because she had more training in tactics. All members of the Jurai royal family were throughly trained in military and political tactics. Ayeka was older than she was and therefore ahead of her in her studies. Jurai tactics could be applied to many walks of life which was why they were emphasized so much. Sasami was still not an easy opponent to defeat, though. She was very bright and used very subtle means to trap her opponents. Ayeka had agreed to the game because she knew it would take her mind off Tenchi and Ryoko, and she needed to spend some quality time with her sister. The game only lasted about a half hour which was pretty short by their standards. Sasami had lost her queen early, but she had been able to take out a rook and a knight. It was a pretty evenly matched game until Ayeka blundered her queen in a very poorly planned attack. After that, Sasami was able to get a pawn down to the opposite side of the board and get her queen back. Soon, Ayeka was put in checkmate and the game was over. "Good game, Sasami"  
"Good game, Ayeka." They shook hands in the customary manner, and then Ayeka bowed.  
"You're getting much better. One day you may be able to defeat Yosho." Sasami blushed. She knew that Yosho was perhaps the best in the universe at chess. He had been undefeated since he was a child. He was the one who taught Ayeka how to play. He always said, "The key to chess is not attacking your opponent, but it is positioning your pieces to take advantage of their attacks." She always applied that in her strategies, and it was finally paying off. Just then, Washu walked into the room.   
"Sasami, I need you to come down to my lab."  
"Why do you need her to go to your lab?" Ayeka questioned.   
"I must speak with Tsunami, and she is the only one who can contact her." Sasami's reflection in a nearby mirror was replaced by a gorgeous woman in flowing white robes.   
"Washu, if you need to speak with me, all you have to do is call out my name and ask." Washu blushed a little from embarrassment because she hadn't thought of that. She explained the situation to the blue-haired goddess, then waited for her reply. She just smiled which confused everyone in the room.  
"Tenchi is the only one who can save her. All he has to do is trust in his own power. I've already told him that, but I guess he is quick to forget such details."  
Everyone face-faulted. When they got up, the goddess was gone. Sasami smiled as Tsunami explained inside her mind what she meant by her comment. She had a mental link with the goddess ever since she had assimilated with her. She never told anyone about this though because she still felt like she wasn't the real Sasami. She thought that if anyone knew about it that they would think she was a freak. She didn't know that her family would fully and unconditionally accept her, but one day she would. Until that day when she would completely merge with Tsunami, and their minds and bodies became one, she would feel like an outsider who didn't belong. Ayeka and Tenchi told her that they loved her just the way she was, but she still wasn't completely convinced.  
Washu went down to the lab to relay Tsunami's message to Tenchi. She wasn't sure what Tsunami had meant, but she figured it couldn't hurt to tell Tenchi about it anyway. She typed in a few commands on her holotop and sent her request for a conversation with him. It didn't take him long to respond.  
"Hello Tenchi."  
"Hello Little Washu."  
"I contacted Tsunami for help, but all she said was that you are the only one who can save her, and you should trust in your own power."  
"What does she mean by that? Is she talking about the lighthawk wings?"  
"I'm not sure, Tenchi, but if she believes in you, so do I."  
"Thanks Washu."  
"What did you call me!?!?"  
"I mean Little Washu." He scratched the back of his head and gave a nervous laugh.  
"That's more like it. I have to go now and see if there is anything else I can do. Good luck, Tenchi."  
"Thanks." The screen went black and Washu was left to think in silence. Despite how smart she was and how hard she thought, she couldn't come up with any more ideas. It truly was in Tenchi's hands.  
Tenchi reflected over what Washu said to him for a few minutes. What could Tsunami have possibly meant? He was pretty sure it had something to do with the lighthawk wings, but what? He knew he could materialize objects with them, but nothing he could materialize would do him any good. He was very frustrated, but he knew he had to figure it out before Ryoko arrived at her destination.  
"Ryo-ohki, how long will it be before we arrive?" The screen displayed 1.5 hours. She sighed heavily. Time seemed to move slower and slower as she got closer to Jurai. She spent the next hour and a half thinking about the person most precious to her, Tenchi.   
Ryoko was brought out of her thoughts by the ship alerting her of their imminent arrival on the planet. She skillfully guided her ship to a good landing spot. She noticed that a crowd of people gathered soon after she landed. She could see many of their faces from the ship. Their eyes were so full of fear and hate. "Ryo-ohki, I want you to protect our family from any and all harm that ever threatens them. As soon as I leave your deck, fly off the planet and back to earth as fast as you can. Do you understand?"  
(Mournfully) "Miya. Miya." Ryoko phased out of the deck and reappeared in front of the crowd. Ryo-ohki did as she was told and flew away. The crowd wanted to tear her limb from limb, but they were paralyzed with fear. She materialized her energy sword which made them panic and back away from her. She just smiled at them and cut of her left wrist. Her hand and gem fell to the ground. She regenerated her hand, and then she then took of her two self-made gems that she wore as earrings and tossed them to the ground. "Those gems are the source of all my powers. Without them, I cannot harm any of you. I came here to allow you to have your vengeance for your loved ones whom I killed over 700 years ago. Do with me what you will." Her smile never faded as the crowd argued amongst themselves about what to do with her. They finally decided that burning her at the stake would be the most fitting way for her to die because the fires she caused had claimed thousands of victims, even after Yosho had chased her off of the planet. One of the men in the crowd stepped forward and punched her in the mouth. She fell to the ground, and he took a step back. He didn't know how she would react or if she really did have some power left to fight back with. She stood up and wiped the streak of blood that flowed from her cut lip. He lip healed almost instantly, but soon she was under a barrage of punches and kicks. Her healing system was slowed down immensely because of the lack of her gems. She was being stomped repeatedly by anyone who could force their way through the crowd and get a hit in. She was very close to death after only a couple of minutes. "Wait! Don't kill her yet! She must feel the flames burn away her flesh before she dies!" A few men in the crowd proceeded to drag her to a suitable spot where a stake had already been put in place.  
Tenchi saw Ryo-ohki fly towards him and proceeded to intercept it. He ordered his ship to beam him onto Ryo-ohki, but Ryoko was no where to be found. "I'm too late." He said just barely above a whisper. He told Ryo-ohki to beam him back on his other ship and continue on her way. Tears began to flow from his face, then he remembered what Washu had said. He knew he would never make it in time in his cabbit ship, so he had to rely on his own power. He materialized the lighthawk wings, but he wasn't sure how to get on Jurai. An idea popped into his head, though, and he began picturing himself phasing out of his ship and onto Jurai. It worked. He looked around and didn't see anything. How the hell was he supposed to find Ryoko now?  
Ryoko had been tied onto the stake and wooden fuel for the fire surrounded her. "Set the monster on fire!" "Kill the demon!" "Now you will know how it feels, bitch!" These were just a few of the many shouts of the people. Finally, the fire was started, and it didn't take long for it to spread. As the heat increased more and more, Ryoko winced in pain.   
Tenchi concentrated on an image of Ryoko and imagined teleporting to her location. In a flash he saw what appeared to be a huge bonfire surrounded by a mob of people. He knew Ryoko was in that fire, and he hoped she was still alive. He flew towards it at an incredible speed. In mid flight the lighthawk wings washed over him and formed his armor, and he flew right through the fire and grabbed Ryoko who had passed out and flew out of the other side. The crowd stood in shock at the boy clothed in heavenly garments who cradled the space pirate in his arms. He pictured himself on the deck of his ship and within a second they were there. He noticed that Ryoko was badly burned from the fire, and that her healing processes weren't kicking in. He placed her in the chair and grabbed the Tenchi-ken. He prayed that the two gems be returned to her, and they immediately took their places on her right wrist and neck. He knew she could even heal herself faster if she had her third gem and he teleported to where it lay in the dirt. He grabbed it and her two earrings and teleported back to the ship. He then ordered the ship to fly back to earth at full speed. He pointed the Tenchi-ken at the third gem and absorbed it into the hilt of the sword. Then, he prayed that it would be returned to Ryoko, and it took its place on her left wrist. He then put on both of her earrings, and smiled down at the pirate. He noticed that the burns on her flesh were starting to heal. He held up the Tenchi-ken and prepared to order the ship to contact Washu, but he decided that could wait until later. He sat by her side until he became sleepy and finally dozed off in the chair that he had the ship materialize for him.   
Washu knew that they both would have had to reach Jurai by now. She prayed that everything worked out okay, but she couldn't ignore the dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach. What would Tenchi do if he wasn't able to save her? She knew he would be overcome with guilt, but how would he handle it? "I hope your love for her was enough to beat the odds," she said just above a whisper. Tsunami appeared behind her.   
"Washu, you must have faith in Tenchi. He capable of things you haven't even imagined. Tenchi wouldn't let her die. I know how much he loves her."  
"How can you be so sure, Tsunami?" The goddess smiled down at the redhead.   
"Wait and see, sister." She disappeared, and Washu was left baffled. Why had Tsunami just called her, her sister? She decided to question it later and go to bed. She was really tired mostly because of worry.   
A few hours past before Ryoko started to stir. She moaned in her sleep, and rolled over onto her side. She then rolled over onto her other side. She moaned again and rolled onto her back. She moved her right arm from her side and placed it on Tenchi's face. This caused him to wake up. He grabbed her arm and moved it off of his face. He sat up, and looked at the beautiful space pirate. She was so angelic in her sleep. He smiled down at her and held her hand in both of his. She smiled in her sleep. He had an urge to wake her up, and tell her how much he loved her, but he didn't want to disturb her either. She needed her sleep after going through that ordeal. He sat like that, unmoving, for a few hours. His sleepiness eventually got the better of him though, and he laid his head on her stomach and fell asleep. He lay on his side with his lower half being supported by his chair. His upper body was supported by her chair. Her stomach served as a comfortable pillow, and his breathing soon became in sync with hers.   
Washu awoke around seven o'clock in the morning. She decided to contact Tenchi and see how things worked out. The dread she felt in her stomach returned, and it intensified as she typed in the last commands on her holotop. She hit the enter button and waited in absolute silence.  
Ryoko was awakened by the beep that accompanied an incoming message. She felt something heavy and warm on her stomach and glanced down to see Tenchi's sleeping figure. She smiled, and it occurred to her, that he might just love her after all. The last thing she remembered was the intense heat of the fire before everything went black. She figured Tench must have somehow saved her. She told the ship she would accept the message, but it didn't respond. She tried contacting it telepathically, but she was unable to. She guessed that it would only respond to Tenchi. She decided that it wasn't important, and she ignored it. It beeped for about another minute before ceasing. Ryoko just looked down at him and ran her fingers through his hair. She had dreamt of being close to him in scenarios like this since he was a small boy. She knew he would grow up and rescue her from the cold, dark cave, but she hadn't even considered the possibility of him rejecting her once she was free. Finally, when he hadn't rejected her, she had rejected him. She figured he was lying to her because he didn't want her death on his conscience, but she knew now that he had been telling her the truth. He wanted her to stay because he loved her, but he didn't want any of the others to know about ti because he thought it would hurt them. He didn't realize how much it hurt her, though, when he would always act like he was disgusted by her. She knew that she didn't exactly help matters out though. She always forced herself on him, and she always fought with Ayeka whenever she got the chance. She never let her true feelings show, and she wasn't exactly the most honest person in the world. She could see where all of this played a major role in his not trusting her. Now everything was going to change. She wouldn't hide her true feelings anymore, and she would earn his trust.   
The dread in the scientist's stomach seemed to knot up. She knew that just because she got no response, it didn't mean anything was wrong. For all she knew, they could be consummating their love for each other, but she realized that Tenchi would never be bold enough to do something like that. She sighed. She was desperate to know what had happened, but she would have to wait. She decided to make breakfast for everyone to get her mind off of them.   
Tenchi finally awoke from what was probably the most sound sleep he had ever had. He felt her running her fingers through his hair, and he smiled inside. He decided to pretend to be asleep for a while longer. There was no telling what she would try to do with him once she found out he was awake, and he almost got a nosebleed just thinking about it. After laying there for about a half hour though, he was getting a little anxious. He needed to contact Washu and tell her that everything was fine. He knew that she would be quite worried by now. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked. He sat up and turned around to say good morning to her, but she phased out of her chair, and phased back in with her arms around him. She hugged him very tightly and rubbed up against him. His nose started to trickle blood, and she realized that this was no way of earning his trust. She let him go and backed away from him. He just smiled at her, and he decided it was time to confess. "Ryoko, I can't live a lie anymore. You nearly died because of me, and I don't want anything like that to happen ever again. It hurt me when you thought that I wanted you to leave. In fact, it would hurt me more if you left than all of the other girls combined. I guess what I'm trying to say is...well...um..." She took a step forward and put a finger on his lips to silence him. Then she slid her hand back behind his head and pulled him closer to her. Finally their lips met, and they kissed passionately. Time seemed to slow down. What was only 3 minutes seemed like a lifetime. Tenchi poured all of his emotions into the kiss, and they were matched by hers. When they finally broke the kiss, a new euphoria consumed them. They hugged each other and stared into each other's eyes. Love was all that could be seen in the depths of their souls. It was a unity like no other in the universe. Finally, they couldn't take it anymore, and they kissed passionately anew. Hormones and emotions were at an all time high, and there was only one way to quench their thirst for each other. (This is not a lemon. You have my permission to write a fic about what they do in the next half hour, but you must let me read it before you submit it. I don't want anything written in bad taste to be submitted to the archive.)  
Washu had almost finished cooking breakfast, when Sasami entered the kitchen.  
"Good morning, Washu."  
"Good morning, Sasami. I decided to make breakfast for everyone today."  
"Thank you. I really didn't feel like cooking anyway. Have you spoken with Tenchi?"  
"The last time we spoke, he was nearing Jurai, I tried to contact him once today, but I didn't get a response. I plan on trying again after breakfast."  
"I hope everything worked out okay."  
"Don't worry, Sasami. If Tsunami has faith in him, so should we."  
"I guess you're right. Do you want me to wake the others?"  
"Please do. Make sure that when you reach Mihoshi and Kyonei's room, that you knock and wait for them to answer, though."  
"Okay." She smiled and ran out of the room and up the stairs. Washu smiled to herself. Sasami was probably the happiest and sweetest person she has ever known.   
Sasami went to wake up her sister first. This was usually a moderately difficult task, but today Ayeka was awake and on her feet in seconds. She went to Mihoshi and Kyonei's room next and knocked as Washu had warned her to do. She heard scurrying and voices coming from the room. She even thought she heard someone say something about having the wrong bra on. Another minute passed before Kyonei answered the door.  
"Good morning, Kyonei."  
"Good morning, Sasami."  
"Breakfast is almost ready."  
"Thank you. We'll be down in a few." Sasami nodded and headed to Nobilyuki's room. After waking him, she went into Mayuka's room, and brought her downstairs.   
Everyone gobbled down their food quickly except for Ayeka, who just stared at her meal. She was getting more and more depressed the more she thought about losing Tenchi. It wasn't fair. Everyone she fell in love didn't love her back. What was wrong with her? She was attractive enough to be most men's dream woman, and she was quite intelligent. She was also very powerful. What did Ryoko have that she didn't? Why would Tenchi choose the space pirate over her? Was it because she was related to him? She had learned that, on earth, it was considered immoral to be with a relative. She didn't understand why at first until she learned that the offspring from related couples would often have birth defects. This never happened on Jurai, and she assumed it was because humans were genetically less stable than Jurains. She figured that since Tenchi had been raised on earth, he would consider it immoral for her and him to be together, even though he was of Jurai royal blood. She would never admit that Ryoko had won because her love for him was much stronger than hers was.   
Sasami noticed that her sister hadn't even touched her food. "What's wrong, Ayeka?"  
"Oh, nothing Sasami. I'm just not very hungry." Sasami knew that she was lying, but she decided not to press the issue. After the meal, everyone began doing their various chores. Ayeka announced that she wasn't feeling well, however, and she went up to her room to rest. Washu decided to try contacting Tenchi again, and typed in the commands on her holotop.  
Ryoko and Tenchi lay in each other's arms. Both of them were smiling broadly and thinking about each other. Their moment was interrupted by an incoming transmission. They quickly got dressed and accepted the message.   
"Hello, Little Washu."   
"Hello, Tenchi." She smiled at the sight of Ryoko. She was very relieved that everything had worked out okay. Then she noticed that both chairs were pushed together, and she grinned at the implications of this. Tenchi noticed what she was looking at and began turning red. Ryoko was puzzled, but she soon figured it out and began blushing as well.  
"Tenchi, I didn't think you had it in you." He grew much redder, and Washu laughed at this.   
"Cut the crap, Washu." A very solemn look came over Washu, and she looked directly into her daughter's eyes.  
"Ryoko, I was afraid that I had lost you. I have already felt the pain of losing one child, and I cannot bear to lose another. Don't ever do something stupid like this again." Ryoko looked at Washu with a thoughtful expression on her face. Maybe Washu did care for her and was being sincere. She didn't see how this could be any kind of trick to embarrass her.   
"I won't, Washu. I promise." Both of them looked at each other for another minute. Washu finally looked away. She knew Ryoko would never accept her as her mother, and it was very painful. It was all her fault. If she hadn't been so blind and saw Kagato for what he really was so many years ago, she would have never been imprisoned in that crystal and Ryoko wouldn't have been put through hell. He seemed totally devoted to science, and he was very brilliant. He was her best student, and he soon became her lover as well. She thought she would never love anyone again after her husband and child were stolen from her. Kagato was very charismatic, and he stole her heart. She didn't know that he was only playing her to gain control of the most powerful weapons in the universe. (Soja, Ryo-ohki, and Ryoko) Washu had just finished her greatest work of all, Ryoko, and was about to throw the switch that would drain the tank she was in and awaken her, but it didn't happen. Kagato, who had been given access to her laboratory at the Science Academy, knocked her out before she could do it. Ryoko's gems were already in place and he saw them as a means of controlling her. He was the one who threw the switch, and he took her and Ryo-ohki to the soja. He integrated himself with the ship's computer and put Washu inside of a crystal on the lower half of the ship. If she hadn't been so easily fooled by him, maybe her daughter would love and respect her today. Tenchi finally broke the silence and cut off the scientist's thoughts.  
"How is everyone doing at home?"  
"Everyone is doing okay. Ayeka is pretty depressed, but she'll be okay in time. By the way, where are you?"  
Tenchi answered, "We're about ten hours away, but we're going to stop at the nearest populated planet and get some food. We will probably stay there over night and be home tomorrow." Ryoko added, "Ryo-ohki will be home later on today." Everyone said their goodbye's and the screen went black. Ryoko turned to Tenchi, "I thought were going straight home."  
"I am starving, and I thought it would give us a chance to get out of this ship and get some fresh air. We could have some fun and relax."  
"As long as we're together, I don't care where we go or what we do." They kissed each other again. Tenchi gave the ship orders to stop at the nearest populated planet.   
  
Author's notes: That really was a fun chapter to write. I know the romance seen was pretty weak compared to the one in my other story, "A Valentine's Day to Remember," but oh well. The next chapter will contain details of Tenchi and Ryoko's day together. I'm not sure what else it will contain, but it'll come to me when I start writing it. Please send me all of your comments and criticism. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or any other characters residing at the Misaki house. They all belong to Pioneer/AIC. I am not making any money off of this story so please don't sue me.

  
  


Author's notes: This is the last chapter of my little saga. I hope you enjoy it. Words between *...* are thoughts. Since this chapter was too large for notepad, I saved this file in .html format so it may appear different from the other chapters. I am working on another fan fic that is already much larger than this series. It's the reason that my fans on the TMFFA have been waiting so long to read this chapter. 

  
  


The ship flashed a picture of a green looking planet. Its name was Quateria 2, and its population was 50 million inhabitants. Ryoko took the controls of the ship and decreased the throttle by 30%. They could see the small green dot growing larger through the dome. They would reach the atmosphere in 10 minutes. Ryoko told the ship to download a map of the planet from the Central Space Office. She sweatdropped when it didn't respond, but then she remembered that the ship will only respond to Tenchi. "Tenchi, please order the ship to download a map of the planet from the Central Space Office." Tenchi did as Ryoko told him to, and soon they had a map on the display.

"I think we should land right around this area," Tenchi said as he pointed to a heavily populated spot on the map. "They have to have some sort of restaurant in this area."

"I agree." Ryoko adjusted their flight pattern to bring then to that area when they entered the atmosphere. She read over some specs on the planet as they drew closer to the planet. When the ship finally did enter the atmosphere, it started trembling due to the force of the atmosphere.

"Won't this damage the ship?" Tenchi asked worriedly.

"Nah. It'll just make the ride a little bumpy. It would take a lot more force than that to damage this ship if it's anything like Ryo-ohki."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then stop worrying. I swear I will never let anything harm you." Tenchi smiled at her, and she smiled back. The ship soon cleared the atmosphere, and oddly shaped buildings came into view. They were black, small buildings that were square in shape. As they neared the ground, small, flying vehicles could be seen coasting through the city. Ryoko spotted a galaxy police cruiser taking off up ahead, and pointed it out to Tenchi.

"That looks like Yukinojoe," declared Tenchi.

"Yeah, it does," Ryoko replied. "I think we should land over there and walk into the city. Does this ship have a cabbit form?" She pointed to a clearing outside of the city.

"Yes. The ship does have a cabbit form, but why don't we land over there instead?" He pointed out another clearing even closer to the city.

"That looks good." She guided the ship to the spot and teleported Tenchi and herself outside. Tenchi pointed the Tenchi-ken at the ship and told it to change into its cabbit form. It did so immediately and ran over to Tenchi and jumped up on his head. 

"Let's go get something to eat before we starve to death."

"Lead the way."

"Uh, Ryoko, how are we going to communicate with the people on this planet? I don't think they will speak Japanese." 

"Believe it or not, Japanese is the standard language of all Jurai territories. Since Jurai's empire extends all the way to earth, they will most likely speak Japanese."

"How is it possible that aliens can speak an earth language?"

"Who says Japanese came from earth?"

"For some reason that doesn't surprise me. Let's ask someone where we can find a decent restaurant, then." They walked into the city limits and headed in the first building with an open door. Weapons, in cases, lined the wall to their left. They appeared to be rifles of some sort, but they had a green ball at the end. Tenchi walked along the wall and looked the guns over very carefully. Ryoko followed behind him. 

"See anything you like?" Both Tenchi and Ryoko turned around to see a light-green skinned man. He was about 6'6" tall and very thin. He also lacked any sort of body hair. 

"We were just looking. Do you happen to know of any good restaurants in the area?" Tenchi inquired.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, there is one just two buildings down on your left. They serve the best food on the planet."

"Thank you." Tenchi and Ryoko walked out of the shop and made their way to the restaurant. As they neared the door, an unfamiliar, yet delicious aroma filled the air. When they entered, another light green skinned person greeted them. She told Tenchi and Ryoko to follow her. They were seated at a booth with gel-like seats that were very comfortable. The waitress handed them each a menu and returned to the kitchen. Tenchi read the menu, but he didn't recognize a thing on it. He was intrigued by the zechhi steak and decided to take a chance. Ryoko also didn't recognize anything on the menu, but fried whimbalos caught her attention. She figured it had to be edible, and she was starving. The waitress returned with two glasses of water and took their orders before heading back to the kitchen. 

"So, what did you order Tenchi?"

"Zechhi steak, what about you?"

"I ordered fried whimbalos."

"I hope this food tastes halfway decent."

"Me too, but I'm so hungry I could eat paper."

"Same here. I guess we'll find out soon enough." Ten minutes later the waitress returned with their meals. The zechhi steak looked like a regular beef steak, and the whimbalos appeared to be just like tacos except that the shell was soft and the cheese was a yellowish-green. Tenchi was the first to taste his meal. *Man, this has to be the best steak I've ever eaten.* 

"This steak is great. How's your food?" Ryoko cut off a small chunk with her fork and put it in her mouth. 

"Mmmm. This is really good. This is better than anything back on earth." The food soon disappeared from their plates. Tenchi sat back and rested his head in his hands. 

"That was a great meal. I thought I was going to starve."

"Me too. That was some of the best food I've ever eaten."

"Same here. I wonder if it really was that good, or if it seemed like it because we were so hungry."

"Who cares? It was good, and that's all that matters." The waitress walked up and placed a piece of paper in a tray on the table. Tenchi picked up the piece of paper and sweatdropped. When the waitress walked away, Tenchi looked at Ryoko with a worried look on his face.

"How are we going to pay for this? The meal came to a total of 36 Jurai dollars. I don't have any Jurai currency with me."

"I guess we'll have to make a quick exit." She floated through the table and grabbed the cabbit that was sitting beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. She then teleported them to the walkway outside of the building.

"We really should find some way to pay them, Ryoko"

"Don't worry about it. Judging from the number of people in there, they must be making good money. It won't affect them at all."

"True, but it still isn't right."

"Stop being such a worrier and enjoy life for a change."

"You're right. Let's go find a good hotel to stay in."

"We do have one slight problem."

"What's that?"

"You only have the clothes on your back. You're going to need more clothes before this vacation is over."

"I wonder if Washu could help us out."

"Let's contact her after we get a room."

"Good idea." They set off in search of a hotel. They talked to a few people on the way who recommended various places, but the places they mentioned didn't sound very intriguing. After a while, they finally met a young couple that told them about a luxurious hotel by the water front. The young man pointed to a tall building in the distance, and he took the hand of the pretty young woman on his right, and they continued on their way. Ryoko picked up the cabbit and put her hand on Tenchi's shoulder, and teleported them to the front of the building. When they approached the door, it slid up, revealing a brightly lit corridor. The floors were made of a light-blue material that appeared to be some sort of marble. The walls were made of pure white rock that had a diamond pattern carved into it.

"This place is gorgeous."

"Yes it is. I bet it's really expensive to stay here."

"It'll be fun, Tenchi. I wonder what the rooms look like."

"I bet they are quite luxurious, judging from this corridor." They finally reached the front desk at the end of the corridor. There was a light green skinned man sitting at the desk. He smiled up at Ryoko and Tenchi has they approached.

"Good afternoon, madam and sir. How may I be of service to you?"

"Good afternoon," replied Tenchi. "We want to rent a room for the night." A keyboard rose out of the desk, and he began typing furiously.

"It seems that all of our standard rooms are occupied. Would you be willing to stay in an executive or honey moon sweet?"

"We would like a honey moon sweet," answered Ryoko before Tenchi could say anything.

"Good choice. I need your name, sir, and your inter-solar-system credit card." Both Ryoko and Tenchi sweatdropped. 

"My name is Tenchi Misaki."

"Tenchi Misaki...hmm...I've heard that name before...hmmmmm...Oh yes, I heard about you on the galaxy news channel. You are the newly discovered, crown prince of Jurai. The news broadcast said that Yosho had given up his claim to the throne, and since you were his descendant, you are the first crown prince of Jurai."

"That's correct."

"I need your inter-solar-system credit card now, please."

"Well...uh...you see..."

"We were robbed earlier today, and our credit cards, as well as our id's were stolen," Ryoko chimed in.

"I see. Well, since I recognize you from the picture they showed on the broadcast, I don't need your identification card so you should be able to contact your bank and have them wire money to our office. The total comes to 5000 Jurai dollars for a one-night-stay."

"I will contact them in a moment, but we must use the restroom first. Could you tell me where I can find them?"

"Go down the hallway to your right and make a left. The male restroom will be the second door on your right, and the female restroom will be the first door on the left." Ryoko and Tenchi headed down the hallway followed by the cabbit. The man noticed the animal and frowned. All three of them entered the men's restroom, and they locked the door behind them.

"What are we going to do, Ryoko?"

"We have to contact Washu. I'm sure she can help us some how." Tenchi pointed the Tenchi-ken at the cabbit.

"Contact Washu now," he commanded. The cabbit cocked it's head at Tenchi.

"Miya?" Tenchi sweatdropped once again.

"Tenchi, it has to be in its spaceship form in order to transmit long distance signals."

"Let's go outside so it can change then." Ryoko picked up the cabbit and grabbed Tenchi's hand, and she teleported them to the outside of the building. Tenchi commanded it to turn into a spaceship, and it obeyed. Ryoko then teleported herself and Tenchi onto the deck of the ship. Tenchi commanded the ship to contact Washu again, but it did nothing. He was starting to get frustrated when Ryoko smiled at him.

"Please hand me the Tenchi-ken."

"Won't it hurt you again?"

"Not if you hand it to me."

"If you say so." He handed her the Tenchi-ken, and she immediately commanded the ship to show the location from which the last transmission came from. It showed earth and a series of symbols and numbers. 

"Send a transmission to this location, immediately." The ship responded with a series of beeps. A minute later Washu's face appeared on the screen.

"Hello. Calling for money?"

"Yes, how did you know," Ryoko demanded.

"They don't call me the greatest scientific genius in the universe for nothing."

"Washu, we need money for a hotel, food, and some clothing," said Tenchi. A number flashed up on the screen.

"This is your bank account number, Tenchi. You can use it anywhere that accepts inter-solar-system credit cards. There are 20,000 Jurai dollars in your account."

"Thank you, Washu."

"What did you call me?"

"I mean, thank you, Little Washu."

"That's better." Tenchi repeated the number over and over again in his head. Once he was confident that he had it memorized, he asked Ryoko to teleport them to the ground. Once they were on the ground, Ryoko pointed the Tenchi-ken at their spaceship and told it to land and transform back into a cabbit. Ryoko then teleported them all back into the men's bathroom. 

The man glanced at the clock on the wall behind him. His shift would end in another hour, and he could go home and watch his favorite show. *I wonder what's taking those people so long. It shouldn't take anyone that long to use the bathroom.* Just then, Tenchi and Ryoko followed by the cabbit came strolling up. 

"I called the Bank of Jurai, and I got my account number," announced Tenchi.

"I see. May I have the number, please?" Tenchi gave him the number and waited while the man typed it into his keyboard.

"It seems that everything is in order. Here's your key." The man handed him a key that resembled a credit card. "Your room number is 277. It's located on the third floor. The elevators are located at the end of the same hallway that the bathrooms are on. Enjoy your stay at the Ritz-Leeman Hotel."

"Thank you," Ryoko said as she took Tenchi's hand. They proceeded down the hallway with the cabbit following close behind. They reached the end of the hallway and found the elevators. Tenchi pressed the up button on the wall, and the doors of the elevator on the right immediately opened. They walked into the elevator, which had a circular interior. The doors closed after a few seconds, and Tenchi found the control panel and pressed the button for the third floor. The doors opened one second later, and they walked out.

"That's the fastest elevator I've ever seen."

"That's the first one I've ever been on, but I have read about them in books." They continued down the hallway. The numbers on the doors were counting down from 300, and they didn't have to walk very far to find their room. Tenchi inserted the card into the slot and waited for the door to open, but the card was spit back out and Tenchi snatched it out of the air by pure reflex. *Why won't it accept the card?* He studied the card and realized that he had inserted it upside down. He inserted it the right way and the door opened. "What was wrong, Tenchi?" He laughed sheepishly.

"I stuck it in upside down." She smiled at him. 

"So, the great prince of Jurai was outsmarted by a key to a hotel room, eh?"

"It doesn't look like it, but these keys can be very cunning."

"I'm sure they can be. I wonder if they could out smart Washu."

"Nah. The only thing that can baffle her is Mihoshi's luck." They both laughed. 

"You know, Tenchi, I wonder if Mihoshi is just lucky or if there is something more to it."

"I do too, but I guess that's just one of the great mysteries of the universe." Tenchi realized that they hadn't even entered the room yet. "I think we should go into the room now."

"Oh, I almost forgot about it." They entered the room and their eyes widened at what they saw. There was a blue velvet couch and chairs in the center of the room. There was a golden-rimmed fireplace in the wall on the right side of the room that was facing the couch. There was a big, flat screen TV above the fireplace. The walls, themselves, were made out of a pure white marble, and the carpeting on the floor was so thick that you could feel your foot sinking in a little with each step. The carpet also matched the color of the furniture. The walls were adorned with large pictures of various sunrises and sunsets from many different planets. The ceiling had various planets carved into its white surface. Tenchi thought that the ceiling could be made of limestone, but he wasn't completely sure. 

Tenchi and Ryoko walked through the rest of the four-room suite. The kitchen would have made Sasami drool. Tenchi noticed that the oven had three settings: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, and 15 seconds. *I wonder if that is how long it takes to cook food in it.* Ryoko walked passed the kitchen Ryoko made her way past the kitchen and into the hallway. She went into the bathroom and a smile spread across her face. The bathtub/Jacuzzi was about five times the normal size. There were dual sinks on the gray marble counter. The floor was made of light-brown, ceramic tiles, and the ceiling had an image of a legendary Jurai queen who actually resembled Ayeka carved into it. The white marble wall had a Jurai landscape carved into it, and it brought a tear to Ryoko's eye. She remembered that landscape very well. It was very beautiful until it became stained with blood and scorched by flames during her attack on Jurai. She could picture the looks of terror on the people's faces as they begged for their lives. She remembered others running away from her with their children in their arms. She could see her energy blast fly out from her hand and destroy them. She wanted so badly to stop this from happening, and she cried out for these people in her mind, but she couldn't stop her body. Kagato had control of her like a ventriloquist does his doll. 

She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. New images began to run through her head. She saw Tenchi chasing a butterfly by the cave, and she saw him playing with images that she generated for him. She remembered singing to him and watching the look of affection and wonder in his beautiful brown eyes as he was captivated by her voice. She then thought back to recent events. She finally had the one thing she desired most...Tench's love. She quit crying and calmed down. She stood up and faced the carvings on the walls once more, but she no longer felt the great pain the images brought her. Tenchi was truly her savior, her knight in shining armor. She would still be in the cold blackness of the cave if it wasn't for him, but she now saw the light. Although it seemed impossible, the love she felt for him grew even stronger, and she began to smile. Thanks to Tenchi, she had shed her final tears, and it was now time to start anew. 

She exited the bathroom and found Tenchi standing in awe of the bedroom. There was a canopy bed that had a map of distant stars painted on it. The bed was made of a dark wood that resembled cherry except that it was just a little lighter. Beautiful pictures of gaseous planets lined the walls of the room. The ceiling had a beautiful woman with wings on her back carved into it, and it was possible to control the brightness of the lights. There was another huge TV in the wall, and there was a sliding glass door for a window that led to a canopy outside. "This place is wonderful," declared Tenchi while still looking around. 

"Yes, it is."

"We should go find a place to buy you some new clothes, and then check out the recreational facilities."

"I agree, Ryoko. Let's go." They walked out onto the balcony and looked down. No one was around, and Ryoko grabbed a hold of Tenchi and flew to the ground. "What about the cabbit?"

"Just command it to stay in the hotel room."

"I don't think I locked the front door, either."

"I'll go check." She teleported away, but she reappeared in a few seconds. "The door has been locked, and I commanded the cabbit to stay in the room. Here's your sword." She tossed him the Tenchi-ken, and he clumsily caught it. 

"Which way should we go?"

"I think we should head to the right."

"Okay." They turned to the right and began walking. They walked around the motel and onto the pathway that would take them down the block. A few cars went screaming by overhead, and that's when Tenchi looked up and noticed that there was only one huge parking spot for each block. *I'm glad that we don't live in this place.*

"Hey Tenchi, do you want to ride a cab?" She pointed to the taxi station ahead of them and to the left. 

"I don't know Ryoko. This transit system is very confusing."

"We'll figure it out. At least we would be able to find a shopping center quicker."

"If you say so."

"I do." They headed into the taxi station and found a light green skinned woman at the help counter. 

"How may I help you two, today?"

"We want to take a cab to the largest shopping center in the city," answered Ryoko. The woman began typing on a keyboard that rose out of the desk. 

"You will have to wait about five minutes for the next cab. The cost comes to 95 Jurai dollars." Tenchi told her the bank account number that Washu had given him.

"Everything's in order. Please step into pod 10 and enjoy your trip." She pointed to the elevators on the wall. Ryoko spotted the one numbered 10 and grabbed Tenchi's hand. She practically dragged him over to it and stepped inside. It was just like the elevators at the hotel, but it didn't have a control panel. The doors closed behind them and opened a second later. They stepped out and noticed that they were outside. They walked on a walkway out to a red square that was blocked off by a waist-high gate. They sat down on a bench and looked at the town below them. *I wonder why we are way up here while the rest of the cars are so far below,* Tenchi thought to himself. 

A flying black vehicle landed in the center of the square. "It looks like a giant egg," Ryoko said with a bewildered look on her face.

"Yeah, it does." A man stuck his head through the top of the egg-like spaceship.

"Are you two going to get on, or are you just going to sit there for the rest of the day?" Both Tenchi and Ryoko stood up simultaneously. 

"How, exactly, do you get in this thing?" Tenchi asked while scratching the back of his head.

"The walls aren't solid. Just step right through."

"Okay." Tenchi put his hand through first to make sure that it wasn't solid. Then, he stuck his foot in and touched the floor. Next, he inserted his head and had a look inside. *It looks like the interior of any normal earth car.* He went the rest of the way through the wall and sat down in the seat. Ryoko followed him, but she floated to the other seat beside him. 

"I take it that you guys aren't from around here."

"No, we're from earth, actually," Tenchi replied.

"Earth!?!? I thought that planet was a non-interaction planet."

"It is, but there are a few people on earth who are capable of space travel beyond their solar system," Ryoko answered.

"I see. Well, you're the first two earthlings I've ever met. My name is Caleeb."

"My name is Tenchi, and this is Ryoko."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I can't wait to tell the guys back at the station that I had people from earth in my cab! So, where do you guys want to go?"

"A shopping center where we can buy some clothing and other items," Tenchi said as he fastened his seat belt.

"No problem. I'll take you to the best shopping center in the area."

"Thanks."

"No thank you. It's a pleasure having you guys in my cab." The cab suddenly flew up into the air and away from the taxi ports.

"Why don't we fly down there with all of the other cars?" Tenchi asked.

"All public transit and emergency vehicles fly at this altitude."

"I see." Tenchi tried to stick his hand through the wall, but he discovered that it became solid. The cab driver noticed this in the rear-view mirror.

"The walls solidify when the car is in motion, when I press a button, or when I get out and lock up the car. They're just like a door, but better."

"That's interesting. I'm surprised that our hotel room doesn't have doors like that."

"Well, they're only found on cars right now, and they wouldn't be practical for a hotel anyway. It scans your DNA and confirms that you are the owner of the car before the walls unlock."

"I see your point." The car came to a stop, and Tenchi and Ryoko could feel it descending.

"We've arrived at our destination. Do you want me to return at a certain time to pick you up?"

"No thanks. We've got everything covered," Ryoko replied.

"Okay. Enjoy your shopping trip and the rest of your stay on this planet."

"We will. Take it easy," Tenchi said as he and Ryoko got out of the cab. Once they were clear of the vehicle, it flew up into the sky and headed back to the taxi station. "He seemed like a nice guy."

"Yeah, he did. So, where do you want to go first?"

"Well, I've got to get some clothes, but is there anything else that we need?"

"Well...we need toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, razors, shaving cream, bathing suits, deodorant, and a bottle of wine."

"There was a bottle of wine in the refrigerator back at the hotel, and I think they furnish all the other hygiene products that we need."

"Then all we need to get is your clothes and some lunch."

"Shall we shop, then?" Tenchi asked as he held out his hand. 

"Let's go." She replied as she took his hand. They followed the directional signs and found the elevators that led to the shopping area. They were just as quick as the ones at the hotel and taxi station, and Tenchi and Ryoko stepped out into a huge area with shops on three different floors.

"This look a lot like the mall in Japan, but it's a lot bigger and more elaborate." Tenchi declared.

"So, this is what a mall is like?" 

"Yes, but the ones on earth aren't this nice."

"Wow! This is great! But where would you find any clothes at?"

"We'll just have to walk around until we find a clothing store." As Tenchi looked around, he noticed a machine that looked a lot like an ATM machine back on earth. *I wonder if I can get cash out of my bank account with that.* "Ryoko, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, okay?"

"Okay." Tenchi walked over to the machine and read the on-screen display. Then, he entered his bank account number that Washu gave him and followed the instructions. He returned and took Ryoko's hand with a smile on his face a few minutes later. 

"What are you so happy about?"

"Well, we now have actual currency, and I'm here with you."

"Your sweet," she said as she gave him a quick kiss. The couple walked around the huge mall for about an hour before Tenchi found a clothing store that had some clothes that he liked. He wasn't necessarily picky, but he wanted something he could actually wear on earth and not be out of place. 

He ended up purchasing three outfits and a bathing suit, while Ryoko found a bathing suit in the store located on the floor directly above him. She usually swam in the nude and had no need for a bathing suit, but she and Tenchi were going to swim in the hotel pool. She normally wouldn't care, but she wanted her day with Tenchi to be completely perfect. When she purchased the bathing suit with the money Tenchi had given her, she flew down to the next floor where she found sitting on a bench waiting for her. He looked up at her and smiled as she floated down. She sat down on the bench next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Tenchi put his arm around her, and they sat there for a few minutes before Ryoko interrupted their peace. "Are you ready to go back to the hotel, Tenchi?"

"What about lunch?" A seductive smile spread across her face. 

"Don't worry about that, Tenchi." She said as she moved to kiss him. As their lips met, Tenchi found himself back in the hotel room sitting on the bed. They continued to kiss as Ryoko wrapped her arms around him. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "I love you with all of my soul, Tenchi."

"I love you too." He could see a yearning in her eyes and a wild look on her face. He yearned for her embrace as much as she did his, and he held her tightly and kissed her with immense passion. (Sorry, but I'm still maintaining the non-lemon status of this story.)

Tenchi lay on the bed beside his beautiful soul mate. He ran his fingers threw her soft cyan hair and reflected over his life since Ryoko had become a part of it. He cherished every moment of it, including the bad times. One wouldn't know what good times are without the bad times. Right now, his life was perfect. He had a beautiful daughter and the loveliest woman in the world at his side. He also had the most diverse, yet greatest friends and family in the world. What more could you ask for? 

Ryoko enjoyed being so close to him. She loved his touch and the sound of his heart beating. She never wanted this moment to end, but it did when Tenchi's stomach growled very loudly. "I suppose it's time we got a bite to eat," Ryoko said with a warm smile.

"Yeah. I'm starving."

"Shall I call room service?"

"Yes, I would really appreciate it."

"Okay. We can go swimming after we eat, then."

"Yes, but we'll have to wait about a half hour after we've eaten."

"That shouldn't be a problem. It'll probably take that long to find the pool."

"Yeah, no kidding. This place is huge." Ryoko rolled over on her side and sat up. She grabbed the phone and dialed 1 for room service. Tenchi also sat up and walked into the bathroom. His face was a little scruffy, so he decided to have a quick shave. He found a brand-new razor in the drawer and a small can of shaving cream. *This hotel is really nice. I wouldn't mind coming back here for another vacation in a few months.*

Ryoko didn't recognize any of the food that the hotel had available, and she just picked out what sounded best. Tenchi emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later and sat down on the bed. 

"They said the food would be here in approximately 20 minutes."

"That's great. I'm in dire need of it."

"I'm just hoping that it tastes decent. I have no idea what I ordered."

"I'm sure it will." 

Their food arrived on time, and soon Tenchi and Ryoko were seated at the kitchen table eating it. Tenchi ended up with a huge, sub-like sandwich filled with meatballs, spaghetti sauce, and cheese. Ryoko had what appeared to be a large burger filled with meat, cheese, and a substance plant that resembled ground up lettuce. Both Ryoko and Tenchi were thoroughly enjoying their meals, and the food disappeared within a few minutes. Tenchi sat back in his chair and sighed happily. "That was a great meal. I'm stuffed," he declared as he patted his stomach. 

"Yes, that was great. The food on this planet is really good."

"I'll say...but it's still not as good as Sasami's cooking."

"You're right about that."

Both Tenchi and Ryoko promptly cleaned up their messes before changing into their swimming suits. Ryoko's bathing suit was a white, two-piece bikini that hugged her form very tightly and complemented her gorgeous figure. Tenchi's black swimming trunks went down a few inches above his knee. Since Ryoko could just phase in her clothing, she was done much earlier than Tenchi, and she waited somewhat impatiently on the couch for him to finish.

Tenchi finished changing his clothing fairly quickly, and he went into the bathroom to grab two towels for him and Ryoko to dry off with once they had finished swimming. He grabbed a pair of disposable slippers that the hotel provided and slipped them on his feet. He grabbed a second pair for Ryoko to wear and started to walk out of the bathroom, when he decided that she wouldn't need them. He put them back in the container and headed out to the living room where he found Ryoko waiting for him on the couch. 

"What took you so long?" She said with a slight tone of annoyance in her voice. He sweatdropped. 

"I was only gone for a few minutes," he paused for a moment. "Shall we go?" She disappeared, and reappeared beside him. 

"Yes, but how do we get there?"

"Don't worry. We'll find our way." Tenchi used his Tenchi-ken to command the cabbit to stay in the living room, and then he laid the sword down on the kitchen counter behind the toaster. He and Ryoko left the room, and he locked the door behind them.

"I suppose that the pool will have to be located on the ground floor."

"Yeah, Ryoko, you're probably right." They walked to the elevators, hand in hand. Due to the speed of the elevators, it took them only a few moments to reach the first floor. As they stepped out, it occurred to Tenchi that this was going to be a little harder than he thought. "We have two options...we can go left or right." Ryoko rubbed her chin for a moment and glanced both ways. 

"Why don't we go both ways?"

"You mean split up?"

"No," she said as she split herself into two people. "We'll go to the right and..." 

"I'll go to the left," her other self finished. 

"Oh, ok. That sounds like a good plan." 

Their search turned up absolutely nothing after 20 minutes of wandering around the many hallways that filled the hotel. *I didn't realize just how big this hotel was. We're never going to find it at this rate,* Tenchi thought to himself. 

Ryoko's other self rounded a corner at the end of one hallway and started down another hallway. She walked past two doors before a light-green skinned cleaning woman walked out of the room directly in front of her pushing a very complex looking device that could only be a cleaning cart. "Excuse me, but could you tell me where the pool is?"

"Hmm...if you head down this hallway and take the last possible right, you'll find all of the hotel's recreational facilities as well as one of the two restaurants."

"Thank you." Ryoko slowly walked down the hallway and waited for the cleaning lady to enter another room.

Tenchi was still deep in thought when Ryoko grabbed his arm and teleported him to where her other self was located. Then, both Ryoko's disappeared and reappeared as one. "I found the pool," she declared with a big grin on her face.

"Where is it?"

"Just follow me." She took his hand in hers and headed down the hallway. She took the last right, like the maid had told her to do, and she saw a wide-open area lined with arcade games. There was also an entrance to the hotel's restaurant, but there weren't any pools. The walked farther into the room and saw some signs with arrows pointing to various areas. One sign in particular caught both of their attentions. "Private Pool Access Help Desk. Hmm...they have private pools. I wonder if one's available right now."

"Yeah, and I wonder how much it costs. We should be able to afford it for a few hours or so."

"Did you bring any money with you?"

"Uhh...no. I left it back at the hotel room."

"Where at in the room?"

"In the drawer of the night stand on my side of the bed."

"Which side is that?"

"Umm...as you walked into the room, it would be on the left, I believe."

"Ok, I'm going to go find an area where there are no people and teleport to the room. You should go to the desk and find out if the pool is available or not, and fill out any necessary paper work if it is while I'm gone."

"Good idea." She raised two fingers to her lips and kissed them, and then she touched them to Tenchi's lips. She smiled at him and walked away. 

Tenchi picked up a brochure about special attractions in the city as he walked over to the desk. He pressed the "ring for service" buzzer and waited for service. A few moments later a pretty, light-green skinned woman approached the counter and smiled. "How may I help you, sir?"

"How much does it cost to rent a private pool?"

"That depends on how long you intend to use it. We offer quarter, half, and whole day rentals."

"How much would the quarter-day rental be?"

"2,500 Jurai dollars"

"That's fine. I'll take it."

"When do you want it?"

"Now."

"Hmm...let me see if one is available." She punched in a code on her computer. "Private pool number four is available for a quarter-day rental."

"That's great." He reached in his pockets, but he didn't find any money. *Damn, I forgot that I don't have any money with me. I hope Ryoko returns soon.* 

"Ok, your name is?" 

"Tenchi Masaki."

"How do you intend to pay, cash or credit?"

"Cash." Luckily, Ryoko walked up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Miss me, Tenchi?"

"Yes. Did you find the money?"

"What would you give me if I did?"

"Six hours in our own private pool."

"That's good enough for me." She handed him the money, and he counted out $2,500 Jurai dollars.

"Here is the money for the pool." He handed it to the woman, and she typed in the data on her computer and a drawer opened up. She put the in the drawer and handed him a key and an "In Use" sign to hang from the door. 

"Enjoy your swim," she said with a friendly smile.

"Thanks, we will," Tenchi smiled back, and he and Ryoko headed in the direction that the sign above them pointed to. As they walked, the passed private pool number 1 on their right and private pool number 2 on their left. 

"We're headed in the right direction," Ryoko declared.

"Yeah, that's for sure." They walked a bit farther until they found pool number 4. 

"This is it. It only took us about a half hour to find it."

"At least we did find it, thanks to me. You men have no sense of direction."

"I would have found it eventually."

"Yeah, and by then, the hotel would have crumbled to pieces from age."

"Ha. Ha. You're so funny." (sarcastically spoken)

"I know. I'm also beautiful. So that would make me one grand package for the man lucky enough to unwrap me."

"Now that I agree with. Hmm...and is there a lucky man?"

"Well, let's see...there's...um...uhhh...." She smiled at him. "You."

"I am indeed lucky...lucky to have a goddess for a girlfriend."

"Well, I'm not a goddess, but close enough." She kissed him as he turned the key to unlock the door. He broke the kiss and opened the door.

"After you." He bowed and motioned for her to enter. She nodded and walked in. The room was huge. The pool, which was quite large itself, was surrounded by at least 20 ft. of deck on each side. The deck contained large pieces of various stones of different colors all smoothed down and separated by grout. There was a towel rack filled with fresh towels, and ten reclining lounge chairs and three different, circular, marble tables. One was composed of a dark marble that had small curvy lines running through it, one was composed of an almost entirely white marble, and the last one was composed of a marble with various shades of brown, gray, and pearl spread evenly throughout. The tables were about 10 feet apart and were on the right side of the pool, while the lounge chairs were about five feet apart and arranged in two rows on the left side of the pool. There was a small control unit on the far back wall for setting the temperature of the pool water. The pool, itself, was a site to behold. One-inch by one-inch tiles composed the surface of the walls and floor. They were all arranged to paint a picture of an animal that resembled a deer, except it was black and green striped and had three large, sharp horns protruding from its head. The tiles surrounding the beast were dark blue. The pool's size was about 25 ft. by 50 ft. It had a deep end and a shallow end with a swim out (small place to sit) on the right and left sides of the deep end. On the ceiling of the room, a landscape of three of these green and black deer-like creatures in a jungle was painted in grand detail. "Wow! This is incredible. I can't imagine the amount of time the workers spent laying the tile in the pool, laying the deck, and painting the ceiling."

"Well, this room surely wasn't built overnight."

"No kidding. I bet this cost a pretty penny."

"A few pretty pennies." Tenchi kicked off his slippers and walked over to the edge of the pool and tested the water with his foot.

"That just a little chilly, I'll go turn up the heat a notch."

"Ok." Ryoko sat down in one of the lounge chairs while Tenchi adjusted the temperature. Once he was done, he sat down in the chair on Ryoko's left and sighed happily. 

"This is great. We should bring the rest of the family up here in sometime. I'm sure Ayeka would love all of the amenities of this place, and Grandpa would love all of the beautiful artwork and such. Dad would marvel over the architecture, and Sasami, Mihoshi, and Ryo-ohki would love the mall. Kiyone would finally be able to relax, and Washu could have a break from her lab work."

"Yeah, we should make plans to come up here on the next holiday. I wonder what the others have been doing at home."

"Probably stuff they normally do when we're there. Ryo-ohki has probably eaten up all the carrots in the storage room, and Sasami won't have any to cook with."

"I guess someone will have to go to work when they get home."

"Yeah, but it's no big deal. It's calm and peaceful in the carrot fields, and I can focus my thoughts." Ryoko phased out and phased back in by the edge of the pool, and she stuck her foot in to test the water temperature.

"It's warm enough to swim, Tenchi."

"Ok." He stood up and walked over the edge of the deep part of the pool. He took in a breath of air and held it as he dove in. He swam down to the bottom of the pool and pushed off the bottom. He shot back up to the surface just in time to be splashed in the eyes by Ryoko's dive in the pool. He wiped his eyes just as someone grabbed his ankles and pulled him under. He just barely had time to take in a breath before he was submerged. He looked down to see Ryoko smile and let go of his ankles. He swam up to the surface, and she swam up in front of him.

"Gotcha."

"Yeah, I owe you one."

"You'll have to catch me first." She swam towards the shallow end, and Tenchi followed her. Ryoko glided though the water with the grace and ease of a dolphin, and Tenchi swam though it with the awkwardness of a dog. His speed was good though, and he almost was able to grab Ryoko's leg a few times as they swam around the pool. Ryoko finally stopped and turned around. Tenchi also stopped and looked at her. "I give up. You win." She said with a smile. 

He reached up and ran his fingers through her wet hair and smiled. Then, he dunked her without warning. She came back up to the surface and crossed her arms in the water. "That was sneaky."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it? Now we're even."

"I guess we are." She split herself into two people, and her other self appeared behind Tenchi and put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him under the water. His eyes widen with surprise and he was just able to draw in a breath before his head fell beneath the surface. Ryoko laughed and both of her selves phased out and reappeared as one. When Tenchi surfaced, he noticed the big grin on her face. "And I thought I was sneaky."

"You are, but you're just not as sneaky as I am." 

"That's true. Shall we call a truce to this little dunking game?"

"Yeah. We should have a race, instead."

"A race?"

"Yup. I'll race you from the wall of the far wall off the shallow end to the far wall of the deep end."

"You're on." They swam down to their starting positions. "Let's go on the count of three. 1. 2. 3!" They pushed off the walls and began swimming as hard as they could. Well, Ryoko could have traveled a lot faster, but she didn't use any of her powers. She wanted the race to be fair as possible. She even slowed her pace to compensate for her greater physical speed and strength, but she would never tell Tenchi that. 

They race was a close one as they pushed off the back wall of the deep end at the same time. Ryoko's push off allowed her to gain half a body length on him, though. Tenchi went all out, but he couldn't gain back the ground he'd lost. *I could use my own power and beat her, but that wouldn't be fair since she isn't using her powers. I'll just let her win this one and challenge her to another race.* Ryoko touched the wall on the shallow end and stood up. Tenchi did the same thing a few seconds later. "You won this one, but how about a rematch?"

"Okay."

"Use your powers in the rematch."

"But that wouldn't be fair." The emblem of power on Tenchi's forehead appeared and began to glow.

"It wouldn't be fair for you if you didn't." He said with a smile. She smiled back at him. "I beat you without using powers, and now I'll beat you with them." 

"We'll see. Go whenever you're ready." Ryoko and Tenchi took off at almost the same time. Each of them flew through the water at an incredibly high speed. They reached the other side of the pool in under a second, and Tenchi speed up so much after he touched the back wall, that he appeared as a streak in the water. He beat Ryoko to the wall in the shallow end by a half a second. 

"It looks like you won thi..." She was cut off by a big wave slamming into her. Tenchi ducked under the water to avoid it and came up laughing at her. 

"I guess we really stirred up the water in that last race."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"That's about enough racing for me. You won one, and I won one. Let's call it even."

"Sounds good to me." Ryoko started doing a lazy back stoke down to the other side of the pool. "You know, this is the first time I've even been in a swimming pool."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I guess this little trip has been full of first time experiences."

"For the both of us."

"That's true. This trip started off very glumly, but it will end well."

"Very well, indeed." He said with a grin. She looked at him questioningly. 

"What do you have up your sleeve, now?"

"You'll have to wait and see."

"Come on Tenchi, what's up? Just tell me."

"Nope. You'll just have to wait." She mock pouted.

"Ok, fine."

"I'm getting pretty thirsty. Do you want something to drink?"

"I could go for a glass of sake."

"Ok, I'll go call room service." Tenchi got out of the pool and grabbed a towel to dry himself off. Ryoko floated on her back and looked up at the ceiling. *That's such a beautiful painting. I wonder how long it took the guy who painted it. The level of detail is incredible. There are even veins on the leaves.* "They said it would be few minutes for the drinks to be delivered."

"Ok. I had better get out of the pool and dry off." She disappeared and reappeared a minute later, completely dry. She took a seat across the dark marble table from Tenchi. She gazed into his eyes and smiled brightly. He shifted in his seat nervously as she stared at him.

"Um...what is it?"

"Your eyes. Did I ever tell you that you have the most beautiful brown eyes?"

"No."

"Well, you do." He also smiled. 

"Did I ever tell you that you are the most beautiful flower I've ever laid eyes on?" 

"No, you haven't."

"You're that and so much more." They stood up and leaned across the table. Just as they were about to kiss there was a knock on the door. They smiled at each other then burst out laughing. 

"There goes that moment."

"Yep, right down the tubes."

"Oh well, you'd better go get our drinks before they think they have the wrong room or something."

"Ok. I'll be right back." He walked over to the door, and returned a minute later with the drinks in hand. He sipped his water as he handed her the glass of sake.

"Thank you." She took a sip of the sake.

"You're welcome."

"They have good sake here. It's better than the stuff back home."

"Yeah, it's probably some of the best quality just like everything else in this hotel." She nodded. 

"Mmmhmm."

"The water tastes the same as the stuff back on earth."

"If it didn't, I would be worried if I were you." He laughed.

"Yeah. That would be pretty weird." Their drinks slowly disappeared as they reflected over times of the past. When Tenchi took his last sip of water, he smiled and stood up. "I'm going back in the pool for another swim."

"Ok. I'll join you." Tenchi dove in the deep end followed by Ryoko. Tenchi swam down to and along the bottom until he reached the wall. Then, he pushed off the bottom and soared to the surface. Ryoko came to the surface a minute later. "Hey Tenchi." He turned around just in time to catch a splash of water in the face. He wiped his eyes and splashed some water at her, but she went under to avoid it. She teleported beside him and splashed him again.

"I see how you want to play." He splashed at her, but she went under again. He smiled as the three triangles on his forehead appeared and began to glow. The lighthawk wings appeared and he sent one of the wings to the spot where Ryoko was going to surface. He waited until her head pierced the surface before he made the wing swoop down into the water and send a splash of water right into Ryoko's face. She yelled out in surprise and Tenchi laughed. 

"You're not the only who can be sneaky."

"No, but I have a few more tricks up my sleeve." She split herself into two people and each of them grinned. "Let's see you get both of us before we get you." 

"No problem." He sent two more wings forth and each of them sent a splash of water at the two Ryokos but they each disappeared before the water could hit them. They reappeared on each side of Tenchi and attempted to splash him. He went under them, and they had to go under too, to avoid the incoming water they had intended to hit Tenchi. Tenchi surfaced and sent all three of his wings to surround the spots where the two Ryokos were going to surface. Instead of surfacing though, one of them teleported behind Tenchi and held him while the other one teleported in front of him and splashed him. "Ok, ok, you win," he declared while wiping his eyes. Both Ryokos disappeared and reappeared as one in front of him. 

"Of course I did. I am now the queen of splas..." She was cut off by water splashing her in the face.

"Now, we're even," he beamed a smile. 

"Yep. We're even." Tenchi pushed off the wall and did a series of flips on his way to the bottom. Once he reached the bottom, he pushed off and flew straight up. He came up out of the water to his waist before falling back below the surface. With two kicks, he broke the surface of the water with his head. 

"It feels great to swim! I haven't been swimming for a few years, and I had forgotten what it was like to feel weightless in the soothing water."

"Yeah, one feels free in water. It's the same way I feel when I fly."

"I've only used my powers to fly once, and that was to save you."

"I'm sorry for putting you through all that. I really thought you hated me, and I didn't want to live, anymore."

"I'll always love you, and I'll always be by your side, Ryoko. Don't ever do anything crazy like that, again."

"I won't, Tenchi, you have my word on that." She swam under the water and surfaced in front of him. She grabbed his shoulders and leaned in to kiss him, but at the last second, she backed off and splashed him. He wiped his eyes and smiled at her.

"You're always doing something unexpected. That's just one of many things I love about you." A serious look came over her face. 

"I love everything about you since the first day I saw you. I knew you would be the one to free me from that dark hell that I was imprisoned in."

"That's all in the past. You're free now, and you've conquered my heart for all eternity."

"I know," she said with a happy smile. 

Time flew by, and before they knew it, their rental time was almost up. Tenchi walked up the steps in the shallow end and over to the towel rack. He grabbed a towel and began drying himself off. Ryoko disappeared, once again, and reappeared a minute later bone dry.

"I'm going to go to the room and put on some dry clothes, I'll be right back," Tenchi said as the power emblem on his forehead appeared and began to glow. The wings of the lighthawk appeared and wrapped around him, and he disappeared.

Ryoko phased out and phased back in wearing a lovely black dress. It was a sleeveless dress that went down to her knees. It was cut low at the top and revealed quite a bit of cleavage. It was tight around her waist which made her gorgeous figure stand out even more. There was a golden flower on each shoulder, and sparkles in the skirt part of the dress. She also had on black high-heels to match her dress. The lighthawk wings appeared a few feet from her. They unfolded and Tenchi stepped forward. The wings disappeared and so did the triangles on his forehead. He was wearing one of the suits he bought at the mall. It was all black, except for the two white stripes that were located on the end of the sleeves and pant legs. There was also one thick white striped that wrapped around his waste. 

"You look great," they said simultaneously. 

"I've never seen you wear that dress before."

"The need has never arisen. That new suit looks nice on you."

"Thanks. I thought the stripes were a little off, but oh well."

"Nah, they would make you look better, if such a feat were possible." He blushed slightly. 

"Thanks. Well, our time's up. Let's go return the key, and then get something to eat at the hotel's restaurant."

"Sounds good to me." Tenchi picked up the money that Ryoko had laid on one of the tables, and they left. Ryoko hit the "ring for service" buzzer as soon as they approached the counter. A different lady approached the counter this time around. 

"I'm returning the key to the pool that I rented," Tenchi said as he handed her the key. 

"Thank you. How was your experience there?"

"It was great. I was very pleased. The pool room was beautiful."

"Yes, the artist who painted all of those rooms is very good. He'll be unveiling his work on the city capitol building next week. If your in town, you should stop by."

"Unfortunately, we have to leave tomorrow, so we won't be able to see it."

"That's too bad. I've heard that it's supposed to be his greatest work yet."

"We might take another vacation here in a few months and see it then," Ryoko chimed in. 

"Hey, aren't you Lord Tenchi, the first crowned prince of Jurai?"

"Yes, I am, and this is Ryoko."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Ryoko and Tenchi shook hands with her. 

"Well, we must be off to dinner."

"Ok, enjoy your meal."

"Thanks, we will." Tenchi and Ryoko walked away hand in hand and headed for the restaurant. Upon arrival, and light-green skinned man in a red suit greeted them. 

"Do you have reservations?"

"No sir," Tenchi said with a concerned look on his face. 

"Hmm...Let me see if I have anything available." He looked at his clipboard for a moment. "You're in luck. We have three different tables available. We have a booth and a table with chairs." 

"We'll take the table with chairs," announced Ryoko.

"Ok. Follow me." He turned around and began walked forward. He rounded a corner walked down an aisle of tables. He walked around another corner before stopping at an empty table. "Here we are. Your waitress should be by shortly." 

Tenchi slipped him a few hundred Jurai dollars and whispered into his ear, "I want this dinner to be very romantic." The man nodded and walked off.

"What was that all about?" Ryoko asked with a quizzical look on her face.

"Oh, nothing much." She could tell that he was lying because of the huge grin on his face, but she decided to let him have his fun. 

A few minutes later, a young light-greened skinned man in the same type of suit as the coordinator of the seating arrangements carefully walked up to the table with a big, round tray held just above his head. He sat the tray down at the edge of the table and removed two candles and candle holders from it and set them up on the table. Then, he light both candles and handed both Ryoko and Tenchi a menu. He picked up the tray and nodded to someone in the background, and the lights were dimmed. Candles were brought to everyone else's tables soon after. A beautiful, soft song began playing, and it added to the atmosphere. Ryoko glanced up from her menu to see Tenchi looking at her. 

"Did you have anything to do with this?" She said with her lips slightly curved up into a smile. 

"Who, me?" He asked innocently, but his grin gave him away, again. 

"This was so sweet. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I just wanted to have a romantic dinner with the woman I love."

"She appreciates it very much." 

"I'm glad to hear it." Their waiter returned with a small notepad and a pen. 

"Are you ready to order?" 

"What would you recommend?" Ryoko asked. 

"The zechhi steak has been deemed the best in the planet by the President, himself." Ryoko nodded. 

"I'll go ahead and try it." 

"And what will you be having, sir?"

"I'll have the same." 

"Ok, that's two zechhi steaks. What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll have sake," Ryoko declared.

"I'll have water."

"I'll be back with your drinks in just a moment." He quickly walked away. 

"Didn't you have zechhi steak at the first restaurant we ate at?"

"Yes, and it was the best cut of meat I've ever had the pleasure of eating."

"I can't wait to try it, then." Their waiter returned with their drinks within a few minutes. He sat them down on the table and disappeared around the corner. Ryoko sipped her sake. "A lady could get used to this."

"Yeah, we'll definitely have to come back here in the near future."

In another ten minutes, their food arrived. The waiter carefully placed the orders in front of them. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"I would like to have another glass of sake."

"And I could use another glass of water."

"No problem," he said as he picked up their empty glasses and placed them on his tray. He walked off and stopped at a few other tables on his way back to the kitchen. Ryoko took her knife and fork and cut a small piece off of the huge steak and raised it to her mouth. 

"Mmmmmm, this is really good." Tenchi nodded in agreement as he couldn't speak due to a mouthful of the delicious steak.

"This is the best steak I've ever eaten. This is even better than the steak at that other restaurant. This steak alone is only reason I need to come back here."

"Yes, this is the best food I've ever had, period, and their sake is also better than any I've had on earth."

The food vanished in a very short period of time. The steaks were so large that Ryoko had to help Tenchi eat part of his. The waiter came by with one final round of drinks and the bill Tenchi gave him a 50-Jurai dollar tip, which he was quite pleased to receive to say the least, and paid the bill. After they finished their drinks, Tenchi stood up. "Shall we go for a walk?"

"Sounds good to me." She stood up and blew out the candles. Tenchi extended his hand and she took it in hers, and they walked out of the restaurant. They headed for the doors in the huge arcade room that lead outside. *It should happen at anytime now,* he thought gleefully. They walked down to the waterfront and looked up at the three gorgeous moons in the dark, starlit sky.

"This is such a beautiful planet," Ryoko said as she put her hands on the railing and breathed in the refreshing night air.

"Yes it is, but it's still not the same as earth."

"I know. Earth is our home, even though this is a nice place to visit."

"That's true." Tenchi kept glancing up to the sky, and Ryoko finally noticed it.

"Why do you keep looking up at the sky?" He smiled. 

"I still have a couple of surprised in store for you tonight."

"You do, huh? This day has been the best of my life. There isn't anything that can make it any better."

"Sure there is. Just wait and see." They walked along the waterfront until the entire city was behind them. They climbed up a large hill that overlooked the huge body of water, and sat down at the top. 

"Ah, here it comes." Tenchi said as he stood up. Ryoko also stood up as she saw what he was talking about. A large comet lit up the sky as it flew over the horizon. It flew up over their heads, and it was so close that they could make out the craters on the surface of it. Thousands of small pieces of it lit up as they burned up in the planets atmosphere. Ryoko laid her head on Tenchi's shoulder as they beheld the spectacle in complete silence. It was as if time froze during the comets short flight over the planet. It was all over in a few minutes, but neither Tenchi nor Ryoko dared to speak. It was if neither of them wanted that moment in time to end. Finally, Tenchi turned Ryoko around to face him. Then, he got down on one knee and took her hand in his left hand while he reached into his pocket with his right hand. He pulled out a small box and opened it.

"Ryoko, will you marry me?" He asked as he handed her the box. She was rendered speechless by her great shock and surprise. She looked into his eyes which reflected the moonlight and his love for her, and she smiled the happiest smile ever conceived. 

"Of course I'll marry you, my darling." A tear of happiness fell down her cheek. She just let it fall as she slipped on the exquisite ring that was in the box. More tears flowed from her eyes and Tenchi stood up and wiped them away.

"Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm so happy. I have dreamed of this since the first day I saw you, and now my dream has come true." She hugged him close and cried into his shoulder. Tenchi shed a few tears of his own as he stared at the moon. Finally, he pulled her back and looked into her yellow, catlike eyes. He smiled and brought his face closer to his. He tilted up her chin, and they kissed with immense passion. They could taste each other's tears as they flowed freely from their eyes. For that brief moment in time, the universe was centered only around them.

Tenchi broke the kiss and looked into her eyes once again. Neither of them said a word as Ryoko teleported them back to their bedroom. She sat down on the bed as Tenchi caressed her cheek. Tenchi sat down beside her, and they leaned in and kissed once again. They kicked off their shoes and laid back on the bed. Ryoko ran her fingers through his spiky hair. "I love you, Tenchi."

"I love you to, Ryoko."

Tenchi awoke the next morning in the arms of his beautiful wife to be. He smiled as he thought about yesterday's events. He rolled out of her grasp and sat up on the bed. Ryoko moaned and opened her eyes. "Good morning, Ryoko."

"Good morning, Tenchi." She rolled over and sat up. She looked at her ring in the light and realized just how beautiful it was. The band was made out of gold and had a T on one side and a R on the other side of a huge blue gem that was cut like a diamond. "Wow. This is so lovely. When did you get it?" He grinned slyly. 

"I got it at the mall yesterday. As we walked in the entrance area, I noticed a huge jewelry store on the ground floor, and I teleported over there after we found the clothing store where I bought my clothes at and you flew off. I browsed through the jewelry store's selection for a few minutes before I found this ring. I asked the jeweler to carve a T and a R on each side of the gem. Once he finished it, I payed and thanked him, and then I teleported back to the clothing store as soon as he turned his back."

"And I thought I was the sneaky one."

"I have my moments. What did you think of the comet?"

"That was wonderful. How did you know about it?"

"I picked up a brochure that said it flew by the planet twice each year. Its orbit is in the opposite direction of the planet, but it orbits in the exact same plane as the planet does."

"Yet another example of your sneakiness."

"Yep. You could say that."

"Are we going to go home or stay another day?"

"We really need to get back home, and we don't have any more money."

"Those are very good reasons. I'll get all everything around."

"I've got to have a shower, first, and then I"ll help you."

"Ok, I could also use one after you're done."

Ryoko gathered up Tenchi's dirty clothes while he was in the shower. She also made the bed up and tidied up the room a bit. Tenchi finished up his shower and had a quick shave. He got dressed in another outfit he had bought at the clothing store at the mall that was exactly like the other one, except the stripes in this one were yellow. He emerged from the bathroom, and Ryoko flew right in. He walked out into the kitchen and grabbed a drink of water. He spotted the Tenchi-ken in it's hiding place and he grabbed it and stuck it in one of his large pockets. *Damn, I left the hotel key in my other paints. I'd better get it out before I forget about it.* He walked over to the bag that Ryoko had put his dirty clothes in. He found the suit and reached into the pockets of the pants, and found the key in the last one he checked. He stuck the key into one of his empty pockets. 

Tenchi heard the bathroom door open up a few minutes later, and Ryoko came out wearing her one outfit with the red leggings, white blouse, and one orange sleeve and one black sleeve. "Are we ready to go?" Tenchi picked up his bag of dirty clothes.

"Yeah. Let's go." He took the Tenchi-ken out of his pocket and called the cabbit who came running up to his feet. They headed out of the door, and Tenchi locked it behind them. They walked down to the elevator and pressed the button. The doors opened almost instantly, and they stepped inside. Tenchi hit the button for the first floor, and the doors closed and opened up just a second later. They stepped out of the elevator and headed down the long hallway to the front desk of the hotel. They found the same guy there that they had spoken to the day before. 

"We really enjoyed our stay at your establishment, and we will be back sometime in the near future."

"I'm glad to hear it." Tenchi handed him the key. "Thank you. You all have a safe journey back to earth." Tenchi shook his hand.

"Take it easy." 

"You too." Tenchi, Ryoko, and the cabbit walked out of the hotel and breathed in the sweet smell of the moist morning air. Tenchi reached down and picked up the cabbit. Then, he threw it high in the air and commanded it to transform into a spaceship. The cabbit did as it was commanded and Ryoko teleported herself and Tenchi onto the deck of the ship.

"Should we announce to Washu that we're coming home?" Ryoko asked as she sat down in one of the chairs in the ship.

"Nah. Let's just surprise everyone."

"You're full of surprises. You know that?"

"Yeah, but that's just the way I am."

"And I wouldn't have you any other way." Tenchi smiled and held up the Tenchi-ken.

"Take us back to earth at full speed."

"Miya!" Tenchi quickly sat down as he remembered his past experience of being tossed to the back of the ship upon giving it a full speed order. The ship was out of the planet's atmosphere in a few seconds, and they were on their way home. 

"I wonder what everyone will think of our engagement," Ryoko mused.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Tenchi looked out into the depths of space. "We will travel the universe, one day. Just the two of us."

"The two of us and Mayuka."

"And Mayuka. That's a promise." 

"I'll hold you to it."

"I know you will." As the ship cruised through the depths of space towards the lonely planet Earth, Ryoko thought about the future. She would officially be Mayuka's mother and Tenchi's wife. Her marriage to Tenchi would also make her the first crown princess of Jurai, but she had no desire to rule over it, and she knew that Tenchi didn't either. They would live out the rest of time on earth, except for the journey through the stars that Tenchi just promised her. He would keep his word because he was a man of the highest honor. *Ayeka will probably be upset about Tenchi and my engagement, but she'll get over it in time. I'm sure she'll find someone who will make her very happy someday. I wish nothing but the best for her and the rest of my family on earth. Thank you, Yosho. You stopped Kagato from using me to destroy people's lives 700 years ago, and you gave me a chance to be with Tenchi. I will repay you by standing upright, and raising my daughter to do the same.*

  
  


Author's notes: Well, the fat lady has sung, and "Fragile Hearts" is now complete. Someday, I may write another fic based on this time line, but I seriously doubt it. I really hope you all enjoyed reading my story, and I want to thank everyone who has sent me their comments again. I appreciate all feedback that I get, whether it's positive or negative. Well, I'm off to work on that other fic I mentioned in my first set of notes. It's much longer than the "Fragile Hearts" saga, and it will take me a very long time to finish. That's all the information I'm going to release about it until it's been submitted to the archive, and only one other person in this world has laid eyes upon the unrevised chapters I have completed, and he won't give anything away, either. Please review this story. I really look forward to reading your comments about it. 

  
  


  
  



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